Eleven-year-old Sumayya Wushah, one of Gaza’s youngest journalists, has been boldly reporting events from the ground, where more than 120 journalists have been killed by Israeli air strikes since October 7, 2023.
A video clip shared by Al Jazeera shows Sumayya, wearing a press vest and helmet, delivering news in Arabic about the ongoing devastation.
When asked by the interviewer, “Aren’t you afraid of anything happening to you?”. Sumayya made it clear that she doesn’t feel afraid, “when I go out I put my trust in God.”
“My mother and father were totally against this because they know that journalists are being targeted. But when they saw that I was determined to work in the field of journalism, they agreed,” she said to Al Jazeera.
“When I go out, I tell my mother and father that I am going out and I put my trust in God. I don’t know if I will be targeted while I am on my way, returning, or even while I am filming.”
Sumayya said she aspires to become like Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed by an Israeli bullet in Jenin.
“Even before the war, I dreamed of being a journalist and wanted to prove myself to the world. My role model is Shireen Abu Akleh. May God have mercy on her. I wanted to prove myself to the world like she did,” she added.
Watch the video below here
“They are totally helpless she has taken a greater responsibility and doing it perfectly like a mature journalist. May Allah bless you & your country with all the goodness in life.. and May He reward you immensely for your steadfastness & patience. Your victory is near.. InshaAllah Allah Kabeer!!,” commented one of the users on a video.
Another commented, “Brave, resilient, intelligent, beautiful but incredibly sad that an 11-year-old is reporting on the genocide of her people.”
“Subhanallah May Allah preserve your life your bravery your courage to fight against this oppression. Aameen! No doubt to speak the truth in front of a tyrant is the greatest Jihad (resistance),” read one comment.
For the world, Sumayya has one message, “I call for an end to the war and I demand that the world provide humanitarian support to the children of the Gaza Strip.”
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip, resulting in nearly 30,000 deaths, infrastructure destruction, and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.
