Mother’s Hunger Strike Pressures for Al Jazeera Cameraman’s Evacuation

November 17, 2024 – Palestine/Israel –

Hiba Al‑Wahidi, the mother of Al Jazeera cameraman Fadi Al‑Wahidi, has launched a hunger strike to demand urgent medical evacuation for her critically injured son in Gaza. Fadi, one of the last remaining Al Jazeera field journalists in the besieged enclave, sustained severe injuries—reported to include paralysis—during Israeli military operations in northern Gaza. Local medical facilities have been overwhelmed, lacking the necessary resources to provide adequate care.

In mid‑November 2024, Hiba began her hunger strike in Doha, where she traveled to raise international awareness of her son’s dire condition. She maintains a constant public presence, handing out flyers and appealing to the Qatari authorities and international humanitarian bodies to act swiftly. By staging her protest in the Qatari capital, Hiba aims to create pressure through visibility and grassroots support.

Doha News reports that Hiba’s hunger strike began around November 17, 2024, highlighting the prolonged nature of her protest and underscoring her desperation amid Gaza’s crumbling medical infrastructure. Multiple posts across mainstream and social platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, confirm that she remains in public spaces, refusing food until Fadi receives permission to be transferred—likely via the Rafah crossing—for specialist care abroad.

Her actions follow earlier coverage describing Fadi as “critically injured” and “paralysed,” hemmed in by Gaza’s collapsing health services that are unable to safely treat high‑profile casualties inside the conflict zone. With journalists being targeted and wounded in Gaza—and many killed—the weak medical evacuation pathways have become a fatal barrier. Hiba’s hunger strike is both a mother’s instinctual cry for help and a strategic call to action.

Advocates for press freedom, including Al Jazeera and international NGOs, have rallied behind Hiba’s campaign. They stress that without prompt evacuation, Fadi risks permanent disability or even death—all while Gaza remains one of the most dangerous and under-resourced areas for injured civilians and journalists alike.

Hiba Al‑Wahidi’s hunger strike stands as a powerful testament to the resolute determination of families caught in the crossfire—and a stark reminder of the failures of global humanitarian response mechanisms amid the Gaza crisis.