Palestinian journalist named among Time's 100 most influential people of 2024

Independent Palestinian photojournalist Motaz Azaiza was included in the list of ‘100 Most Influential People’ of 2024 by Time magazine on Thursday.

The list includes names of the most influential people from across the world who fall under the six categories — artists, icons, pioneers, leaders, titans, and innovators.

American news magazine named the 25-year-old for becoming the “world’s eyes and ears” during Israel's genocide in Gaza.

"For 108 days, Motaz Azaiza acted as the world’s eyes and ears in his native Gaza. Armed with a camera and a flak jacket marked ‘press’, the 25-year-old Palestinian photographer spent nearly four months documenting life under Israeli bombardment," the publication said.

At least 95 journalists have been killed in Gaza since Oct 7, in what has been the deadliest period for the press since the Committee to Protect Journalists began tracking fatalities in 1992.

Azaiza left Gaza in January and currently residing in Qatar's Doha.

"Since evacuating Gaza in January, Azaiza’s role has shifted to raising awareness of the crisis—and to calling for international intervention," Time said in a statement.

“What is happening in Gaza is not content for you. We are not telling you what is happening ... for your likes or views or shares. No, we are waiting for you to act. We need to stop this war," the Magazine said quoting Azaiza.

The ongoing Israeli genocide, which started on October 7 2023, after the Hamas attack, has ravaged Gaza, resulting in the loss of at least 33,797 Palestinian lives and leaving 76,465 wounded.