Motaz Azaiza admits to withholding footage of October 7 hostage attacks

Prominent Gazan photographer Motaz Azaiza has admitted to filming the brutalization of Israeli hostages by a Palestinian mob during the October 7 attacks, but deliberately withheld the footage. Azaiza stated he followed a Hamas Al-Qassam vehicle and recorded Palestinians hitting captives, but chose not to release the videos because he feared Israel would use them to identify and kill the attackers. He noted, “I did not want to ruin the lives of the people who were filmed.”

In the same interview, Azaiza criticized Hamas leadership, accusing them of sacrificing Gaza’s population and silencing Palestinian critics. He described a system used by Hamas to intimidate journalists, including the use of WhatsApp groups to mobilize online mobs against those who dissent. He claimed that many Gaza photographers avoid filming when civilians criticize Hamas due to fear of retaliation.