Into the conflict zone
It has been a week of troubling developments in the Middle East as the conflict there escalates.
I’ve written to you in the past about our foreign correspondents and the lengths they go to in order to bring you the story. With this in mind, I thought you might like to hear from journalists Matthew Knott and Kate Geraghty, who have arrived in the region today to report from Israel and the West Bank on the devastating conflict that has been raging for a year now and has begun to morph into wider regional hostilities.
Photographer Kate Geraghty has unparalleled experience in reporting from conflict zones. Credit: James Brickwood
How long has this trip been in the planning?
Matthew: We have been planning in detail for two months but we have been following this issue and determined to make a return trip since we visited Israel and the West Bank last year shortly after the October 7 attacks. A year on from our last visit, international journalists are still not allowed to enter Gaza (except on rare “embeds” with the Israeli military). Like so many others, we hoped and expected that the war in Gaza would be over by now but it is still going on 12 months later – even as the focus shifts to Israel’s northern border and conflict with Iran.
What are some of the logistical challenges involved in setting it all up?
Kate: With conflict, the situation is very fluid, so maintaining relationships with those we met on our previous trip is paramount to understanding what is happening and how we can then relay that to readers. On a practical level, there are Israeli and Palestinian colleagues to liaise with, translators and drivers to engage, and interviews, accreditation, permits and PPE (personal protective equipment) to organise.
What’s in your suitcase, apart from the travel basics?
Matthew: As well as the usual for an overseas trip, we pack a Kevlar bulletproof vest and a ballistic helmet. These were essential on our last trip when we went on a guided tour of a massacre site on the Israel-Gaza border while intense fighting was under way a few kilometres away, and when we reported on clashes between Palestinian youths and Israeli soldiers on the outskirts of Ramallah. We also make sure to pack magnetic labels to identify our vehicles as carrying media personnel.
Kate and Matthew reported on clashes between Palestinian youth and the Israeli military near the Al Jalazone refugee camp in Ramallah, West Bank.Credit: Kate Geraghty
How dangerous is this type of assignment and what precautions do you take to minimise the risks?
Kate: Any assignment has its hazards. The most important thing is not to put those we are interviewing at risk. I have been covering conflict and its aftermath for more than 20 years, so that experience mitigates the risks, along with listening to local colleagues, having an understanding of the actors involved and preparing.
Are there other significant challenges while you’re on the ground?
Kate: Time is the main thing – having limited time to make sure we give the stories and those bravely sharing their experiences with us the respect they deserve.
How are your emotions in the lead-up to a trip like this?
Matthew: I do have nerves and heightened tension in the lead-up – not so much because of any particular danger we may face but rather the desire to make the most of our time on the ground and to tell the story as well as we can. It helps to be reporting with Kate, who is a veteran of covering conflict and a much-admired legend of our profession. She always aspires to greatness and doesn’t rest until she gets material she is proud of and believes our readers need to know.
You were in Israel 12 months ago, shortly after October 7 – what are the overriding memories that have stayed with you?
Matthew: So many things. The raw grief and panic of the family members whose loved ones had been taken hostage in Gaza. The October 7 first responder who told us about being haunted by the sound of phones ringing inside body bags, knowing it was people calling in vain to speak to their murdered loved ones. The smell of death at the kibbutz we visited. The ageing Palestinian farmers we met in olive groves who were terrorised by extremist Israeli settlers encroaching on them. The howls of grief of Palestinian women at the funeral of a young boy shot dead by Israeli soldiers.
One of Matthew’s most enduring memories is of talking to the loved ones of hostages taken by Hamas, such as Stav Levi whose boyfriend Idan Shtivi was taken.Credit: Kate Geraghty
Were there any heartwarming moments you can recall?
Matthew: Definitely. You get to see the extraordinary resilience people are capable of, whether it be the families of Israeli hostages telling their stories to the world in the hope of bringing their loved ones home, or the positivity of Palestinians in the West Bank who refuse to be crushed by the grinding realities of life under occupation. After we returned home, it was thrilling to learn that several of the hostages whose families we interviewed were released in a ceasefire agreement last November.
Are you expecting things to be very different this time?
Matthew: When we visited last year, usually bustling cities such as Tel Aviv were essentially shut down and Israelis who previously lived with a sense of safety and security were suddenly in a state of heightened anxiety. I will be interested to see how much of normal, pre-October 7 life has returned. Israeli politics is fascinating so I am eager to learn about how that has shifted over the past year. Benjamin Netanyahu, the dominant force in Israeli politics for the past 30 years, is still in power and his popularity has rebounded significantly in recent months – helped by repelling missile attacks from Iran and the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Kate, you have reported from numerous war zones, including Ukraine. Are there similarities or is each conflict different?
The first war I covered was the invasion of Iraq in 2003. I was there for the first three months and returned throughout that war over the years right through to the liberation of Mosul from Islamic State. I’ve also reported from Afghanistan over the years, Ukraine since 2014 including the downing of MH17 and the Russian invasion, the Lebanon War in 2006, and many others. Two things that are similar in all conflicts is that civilians pay the ultimate price and all these wars could have been prevented.
Do you think most people in Australia have any real sense of what life is like in Israel, Gaza, the West Bank or Lebanon at present?
Kate: I think a majority of Australians have empathy for what is happening but the only ones who know what life is like under constant conflict would be those who have fled war. There are up to 20,000 Australians right now in Lebanon living through this.
Why is it important that The Age has journalists on the ground at this time?
Matthew: The conflict in the Middle East is one of the most important stories of our time, and reverberates all the way to Australia. It is important for Australians to have a uniquely Australian perspective on this story rather than simply relying on international wire services. I know The Age readers hunger for stories that take them beyond the bare-bones facts and help them understand the richer texture of what life is like in this fascinating part of the world. Our task is to identify the details that cut through the noise and help readers gain a new appreciation of such a complicated story.
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