Lama Abu Jamous Lama Abu Jamous

In a world where being a child in Gaza is deemed the most dangerous existence, one young girl has taken the responsibility to disseminate awareness about her war-ridden region despite her young age. Lama Abu Jamous, the nine-year-old Palestinian journalist, stands out as a glimmer of light, echoing the perturbation of every Palestinian child for peace and safety. 

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Despite being displaced multiple times within Gaza, her journalistic spirit remains unbroken. With over 8,30,000 followers on Instagram, she chronicles the daily hardships endured by her family and countless others, using her social media platform to share those untold stories. As the youngest journalist in the region, Jamous is not only witnessing the horrors of the conflict but also documenting them through the eyes of Palestinian children. Her message is clear. “I want the world to hear the voices of Palestinian kids,” she says.  

Amid Western media’s slick propaganda and fabrications, her tireless journalistic endeavour not only redefines the purpose of journalism but also serves as a potent reminder of the impact one young voice can have. 

In this exclusive conversation with journalist Abhimanyu Bandyopadhyay, Jamous opened up about her experiences of the war, her family’s struggles and her extraordinary journey as an aspiring journalist in a region torn apart by violence. 

Deep Dive | Episode 28 | War on Gaza

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Excerpts from the interview:

How was your life before the war started? 

Before the war, I used to live in Gaza with my family. I remember going to school hand-in-hand with my friends, playing games, and enjoying the Arabic lessons together with my brother and sister. On the weekends, my parents would take us to my aunt’s place, whose kitchen always smelled of the most delicious Arabic cuisines. During holidays, we used to travel to my grandmother’s house, in Khan Younis, near our family farm by the beach. My world was small yet filled with love and affection. 

Then the war came. Our once peaceful life all of a sudden turned upside down. We were forced to leave our home, seeking safety in Khan Younis. But even there, we couldn’t stay for long. We had to flee again, this time to Rafah in the south. The places I loved, the people I cared for, the moments I cherished, all became memories in the shadow of fear and uncertainty. 

Life before the war seems like a distant dream now, a time when the world felt much safer under the warmth of being surrounded by our loved ones. Since then, we have been running endlessly from one place to another for survival. I still hold onto those memories tightly, hoping for the day when all this destruction will finally come to an end and peace will return to every Palestinian’s life. 

Can you share the challenges you faced while living in Gaza? 

It was a total nightmare. The day Israeli armed forces issued their order to evacuate northern and central Gaza, we were told to move south, to Rafah, with no time to prepare. There was no choice but to leave everything we knew behind. Therefore, we gathered whatever we could and set out, unsure of where we would find shelter or safety. Upon reaching Rafah, we were bound to live in a makeshift tent alongside the dogs and the horses. It was extremely cold outside and the relentless rain frequently tore through the tent’s fragile fabric, leaving us vulnerable and exposed. I remember watching my father, tirelessly repairing the tent, trying his best to keep me and my younger sister dry. Every time I looked at my parents’ faces, it made me sad as the situation in Rafah was worsening with each passing day. There was a shortage of food, water, medicine, and people were being starved to death in front of our eyes. One could literally smell the prevailing death in the air, as we were mostly surrounded by the decaying dead bodies of women and children. Currently, more than 1.7 million people, including newborns, are going through a state of survival in Rafah. We are all trying to help each other so that everyone can at least survive until the war comes to an end. 

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How are the Palestinian children coping with the current war scenario? 

The children of Gaza are living in a nightmare they cannot escape. They are extremely traumatised, wounded, exhausted and dying out of hunger. Every time we hear the sound of the Israeli fighter jets, we get ourselves mentally prepared for our turn to be killed. Our childhood has been stolen, our dreams have been slaughtered, our memories violently erased, and what remains is a dark, never-ending void. It’s distressing to witness how the world has turned its back on us, normalising a year-long genocide.  

I can tell you my own story as I have lost some of my closest people in this war. Last year, in January, my best friend Asha was killed by Israeli snipers while searching for her sketchbook in the rubble. Just a day before Asha’s death, we had dinner together in the fragile shelter of our tent. I still remember her smiling face beside the campfire, warm and full of life, as if the war hadn’t already stolen so much. And then, the very next day, she was gone. Just two months after this incident, my aunt Sana and her entire family were killed in Khan Younis while peacefully sleeping inside their tents. Her husband, her children—Assad (14), Brea (11), Malek (16) and little Salam (10)—all lost to an Israeli airstrike. What was their fault? Why did they have to die? Sometimes, I cling to the hope that this is all just a bad dream. But the nightmare doesn’t end. It never ends. This is our reality, and the world watches as we fade away. 

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This is likely your first encounter with such a horrifying warfare experience. Weren't you afraid when you initially decided to document the genocide in Gaza through your smartphone? 

No, I wasn’t. Although this is my first time working as a journalist, it’s not my first experience with war. I’ve lived through the war of 2021, and those memories have stayed with me ever since. Besides, from the very beginning, my parents and other senior journalists had encouraged me a lot to step into the field as a junior reporter. Their unwavering belief in me gave me the courage to face the chaos and destruction without fear. 

I had only one thing in mind—to be a voice for the Palestinian children. The world has to see what is happening to the innocents in Gaza and I am determined to show it. 

You're an inspiration and a role model to millions. What would be your message to the children living outside Gaza? 

Dear friends, let us not normalise the genocide in Gaza. Let us not become accustomed to this year-long mass butchering and annihilation. Let us not forget how criminally silent the mainstream media remained during Israel’s mass slaughter and the forced displacement of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Let us not forget how systematically the ‘holy’ USA labeled Palestinian civilians as ‘terrorists’ before the world while funding the Israeli administration with billions of dollars and advanced weaponry. Lastly, let us not stop thinking, talkingroyal circle club, or writing about Gaza. You all are Lama Jamous.