Gazan Journalist Filmed Hostages Being Abused, Withheld Videos to Protect Hamas

Media watchdogs say Azaiza’s concealment of the videos violates fundamental journalistic and moral standards.

By Shula Rosen

Gazan photojournalist Motaz Azaiza acknowledged in a September 2026 podcast interview that he recorded Palestinians beating and abusing Israeli hostages on October 7, 2023, but deliberately kept the videos from the public because he feared Israel would identify those involved.

Azaiza told journalist Ahmed Biqui on the podcast Taqarrab that he saw an Al-Qassam Brigades vehicle transporting Israeli captives and followed it with his camera.

“I saw the vehicle of the Al-Qassam Brigades, and there were [Israeli captives] there,” Azaiza recalled. “People got out, watched, beat them, hit them, and I followed them and filmed. But I did not publish those videos. Why? Because I did not want to ruin the lives of the people who were filmed.”

Explaining his decision, Azaiza said he expected Israeli authorities would analyze the recordings to identify people appearing in them.

“I understood that Israel would use those videos to identify every person who was there and eliminate them,” he added. “I did not want to be responsible, even indirectly, for the deaths of those people in exchange for a few likes and views online.”

Azaiza has built a significant international profile during the war, attracting millions of followers on social media. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and included on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Elsewhere in the interview, Azaiza criticized Hamas’ leadership, saying its actions had failed to protect Gaza’s population.

His admission that he withheld the recordings drew condemnation from media watchdogs and groups including the Coalition for Jewish Values.

The organization argued that concealing documentation of abuse to protect the people involved violated fundamental journalistic and moral standards.

Azaiza’s remarks also brought renewed online attention to public figures who had previously interacted with him or expressed support for him. Among the material that resurfaced were earlier clips involving children’s YouTube personality Ms. Rachel.