Plestia Alaqad | |
---|---|
بلستيا العقاد | |
Born | 10 December 2001 |
Alma mater | Eastern Mediterranean University |
Occupation | Journalist |
Known for | Documenting the Gaza–Israel conflict on social media |
Plestia Alaqad (Arabic: بلستيا العقاد; born 10 December 2001)[1] is a Palestinian journalist and poet from Gaza, currently based in Melbourne, Australia.
Growing up in Gaza,[2] Alaqad had a mostly happy childhood as her mother Rana would try to shield her from the "horrors that sometimes descended on the strip".[3] Alaqad attended the American International School.[4] She went on to study New Media and Journalism at Eastern Mediterranean University in Cyprus, graduating in 2022.[5]
Alaqad previously worked as an HR professional at a marketing agency while she built a small Instagram following online during her free time.[6] She regularly conducted media training as well, while also doing freelance journalism related work.[7] Prior to the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, Alaqad's online content mainly consisted of travel content to locations such as Cyprus and Turkey.[8] According to her, she also documented her everyday life on Instagram to show her followers that there was more to Gaza than war and conflict.[7]
Alaqad, who was due to start a new job on 8 October 2023,[3] gained recognition online after she began posting video diaries documenting life in Gaza during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war to Instagram.[1][9][10] By November 3, Alaqad had accumulated 2.1 million followers on Instagram;[9] by November 22, she had nearly 4 million.[11] Alaqad's videos have been shared by the ABC,[12] BBC,[13] Business Today,[14] The Independent,[15] The New York Times,[16] PBS NewsHour,[17] and The Washington Post.[18] She was also interviewed by the GB News Breakfast Show about conditions in Gaza.[14]
In her videos, Alaqad has expressed that, in light of the war, she understands her late grandfather's emotions surrounding his experiences during the Nakba, the mass flight and expulsion of Palestinians during the 1948 Palestine War.[19]
On 22 November 2023, Alaqad and her family fled to Egypt via the Rafah Border Crossing[11] and then, a few days later, to Melbourne, Australia,[20] having secured visas via her uncle.[3] In a video, Alaqad explained that although the choice to leave Gaza was difficult, she feared her reporting was putting her family in danger.[11] Alaqad has also touched upon the at times overwhelming feeling that she would have recording her videos as so many people were watching and relying on her to provide updates and information.[21]
Alaqad had written poetry in a diary, which she performed as a featured act at the 2024 Bankstown Poetry Slam in Sydney.[22]