غزة 24 | التغطية مستمرة@Gaza24Live
Al Jazeera Ends Contracts of 24 Gaza Journalists After Job-Security Assurances
Exclusive | Gaza24Live
GAZA — Al Jazeera has ended the contracts of 24 journalists and media workers in the Gaza Strip, according to members of the team, despite earlier assurances that they would be offered greater job security and future opportunities within the network.
The affected journalists said Al Jazeera director Asef Hamidi had reassured them in an email that they would not be abandoned and pledged to support their professional development and provide suitable positions across the network.
Instead, they said, their salaries were stopped and they were referred to a private company identified as “Media,” where they would be paid on a piecework basis without permanent contracts, insurance or clear employment protections.
The decision affected correspondents, camera operators and producers who covered the war in Gaza. Those named by the group include Mohammed Shaheen, Mohammed al-Sharif, Ayman al-Hissi, Hassan al-Zaanin and Ashraf al-Sarraj from northern Gaza, as well as Jamal Adwan, Alaa Salama, Ola Abu Muammar, Moaz al-Amour, Abdullah Abu Kamil and Talal al-Arouqi from southern Gaza.
Many of the journalists had previously worked for local and regional media organisations before Al Jazeera recruited them at the start of the war. They said they joined the network to bring Gaza’s story to a wider international audience and because they believed their relationship with the broadcaster was based on mutual professional commitments.
Some worked with the network for two to three years under bombardment and direct threats. Several were injured or suffered professional and personal losses, while others lost homes or family members but continued reporting.
In social media posts, the journalists accused the network of retreating from what they described as its moral and professional obligations. They said the transfer to an unstable piecework arrangement did not represent a fair alternative to their previous contracts or reflect the risks they had taken.
Some also raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest, alleging ties between officials at the private company and individuals with professional interests involving Al Jazeera. They said the head of a Gaza-based committee concerned with journalists’ protection also manages the company to which they were referred, and called for an independent review of the arrangement.
The journalists urged Al Jazeera to reverse the decision, honour its previous commitments and give them priority for future positions and projects.
They also called on the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate, rights groups and international media organisations to review their contracts and correspondence with the network and ensure that they are not compelled to accept work without legal protection, insurance or minimum job security.
The group said it was prepared to pursue legal action before Palestinian and international bodies, stressing that it was seeking fair treatment rather than exceptional privileges.
“We are asking for treatment that reflects the risks and sacrifices we endured during the war and protects our dignity and professional rights,” the journalists said.
