Photographer Motaz Azaiza admits to withholding footage of hostage abuse

On September 19, 2026, prominent Palestinian photographer Motaz Azaiza revealed in an interview on the 'Taqarb' podcast with journalist Ahmed Bikai that he filmed Israeli hostages being abused by crowds on October 7, 2023. Azaiza, who has been featured in Time's 100 most influential people list and nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, admitted he chose not to release the footage to prevent Israeli authorities from using it to identify and target the individuals involved in the acts. He stated that he did not want to be held responsible for the deaths of these people for the sake of social media attention.

In the same interview, Azaiza expressed sharp criticism toward Hamas. While describing himself as a supporter of 'armed resistance,' he questioned the group's effectiveness in protecting civilians. He challenged his audience to name a single Palestinian in Gaza who had been protected by Hamas weapons since October 7, stating, 'None.' He also criticized the organization's leadership for their failure to accept terms that might have mitigated the conflict. This admission has drawn significant attention from both Israeli and Arab media outlets due to his international profile and previous documentation of the conflict in Gaza.