Palestinian journalist Ahmed Mansour burned alive after an Israeli airstrike allegedly targeted the journalists’ tents mear Nasser Medical Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, on the morning of Monday, April 7.
I never imagined a moment would come when I would run toward a person while his body is on fire…not to save him from a normal death, but rather from burning.
When the Israeli airstrike targeted the journalists’ tent in Nasser hospital, everything around us exploded. Noise, fire, dust, and shock. I turned back quickly to see that my colleague, Ahmad Mansour was burning before my eyes. This is not metaphorically. That was real.
I couldn’t think at that moment. I rushed towards him in fear. It was my affection and my instinct that pushed me to react. I was unaware of the danger I am facing. I didn’t realize what I was doing and how I did that. I only wanted to calm down the fire inside my heart. Ahmad was screaming. His eyes looking for someone to rescue him. That wasn’t a scene from a movie. It was a live, and painful reality.
We are journalists. We carry cameras, not weapons. We report the truth. We are not fighters or militants. Why are we being bombed and shot at?!!!!
This scene will remain etched in my memory for the rest of my life. Ahmad, my colleague, I am not capable of making any promise, but believe me, I put all the effort I can to save you. You will always remain in my heart, in the hearts of all your colleagues.
Forgive me Ahmad, if I failed you in a moment. Forgive this world that did not grant you the right to live; not even the right to escape the flames of injustice.
The scene was unbearably harsh. The body of a colleague burning in front of our eyes. Screaming and tears behind the smoke, hearts in pain over helpless friends whom we wished to save, but we failed.
In such moments, we are moved by our instincts. We rush or freeze in shock. Some of us hood their cameras. That is not because they choose to film instead of helping, but because they are paralyzed. They are terrified at the scene.
No one sees the body of a human being on fire and chooses coldly to grab his camera and starts shooting. We only remind those who judged us and haven’t seen by their own eyes what we witnessed that “God does not put a burden on a soul beyond what it can bear”.
Thanks to God for inspiring me and making me recognize that a shock has limits that can’t be measured from behind the screens.
What happened is unforgettable, and those who were there won’t get over it easily. The scene of fire, the feeling of helplessness, and the harsh judgment are unforgettable.
May God have mercy on our martyred colleagues and quick recovery to the wounded among them.
Journalist: Abdul-Raouf Shaath
Displaced in Khan Younis – Palestine
April 7, 2025
