UK: Palestinian Journalist Yara Eid Admitted to Hospital in London After 29 Family Members Die in Shelling
14 more family members died after the journalist regained consciousness
Location: Palestine, Gaza
Date: October 15, 2023*Updated on October 20, 2023.
With the escalating conflict in Gaza, more journalists face life-threatening situations, leading to a mounting death toll. The cost of the war is not only palpable for those in Gaza. Among those affected abroad is journalist Yara Eid. The reporter was hospitalized in London after falling unconscious following the news that 15 family members were killed by Israeli shelling. The Coalition For Women In Journalism expresses solidarity with Eid and hopes she is able to recover from this incredible trauma.
Palestinian journalist Yara Eid, who has resided in the U.K. for several years, was hospitalized after discovering Israeli missiles destroyed her home, killing 15 of her family members on her uncle’s side of the family. After she regained consciousness, she was informed that Israeli strikes also killed her aunt’s side of the family. “I can’t anymore … I can’t,” Eid wrote on Instagram.
Less than a week before she was admitted to the hospital, Eid’s colleague and friend Ibrahim Lafi was killed on assignment. Eid spoke about it in an op-ed for the LA Times.
“I was screaming, crying and unable to breathe. Ibrahim, my best friend, is gone. It felt like my world had completely ended,” the journalist wrote on October 11th about finding out Lafi was killed.
After spending six years in the UK pursuing her studies in international relations, Yara Eid returned to her homeland, Gaza for one month last year to report on the ongoing crisis.
“Documenting what was happening is so important to me because I want people to live the experience I was living,” says Eid. “We’re becoming desensitized to the images on TV, and I wanted to share a real-life experience of me.”
While overseas, Yara constantly lived in trepidation, especially during the multiple Israeli bombardments of Gaza. "While in the UK, every time there was a bombing on Gaza, my heart would stop literally,” Eid shared with Al Jazeera. “I would be glued to my phone 24/7, trying to call my family to check if they’re okay. It is never peaceful there.”
Eid was hospitalized in the 2014 war on Gaza, with post-traumatic symptoms that led to health complications, putting her in the hospital for years.
“I can’t grieve I have to continue reporting, but I’m beyond exhausted. I’ve never felt this much pain”
Despite the horrors Eid is going through and the toll it has taken on her mental health, the journalist refuses to stop reporting on the war. “I can't grieve I have to continue reporting, but I'm beyond exhausted. I've never felt this much pain”
As the conflict in Gaza entered its tenth day on October 16, the devastating casualties continue to mount. With over 4,000 lives lost on both sides, at least 21 journalists among the victims since the war began on October 7.
We extend our heartfelt condolences for the tragic loss of Yara Eid's family members and express deep concern for her health. It is heartbreaking that Eid, a young and promising journalist, is suffering through such immense trauma.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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