honour

Hebron, occupied West Bank – Among the more than 67,190 Palestinians killed in Israel’s war on Gaza, there has been a particularly heavy toll on journalists and media workers. More than 184 journalists have been killed by Israel in the war, including 10 Al Jazeera staff members, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Palestinian journalists in the occupied West Bank were only able to look on at their colleagues’ sacrifice in Gaza from afar. But they have also faced their own challenges, as Israel continues its near-daily practice of raids throughout the Palestinian territory.

As Palestinians in Gaza expressed relief at the news of the ceasefire deal, journalists in Hebron, in the southern West Bank, were documenting how Palestinians were being restricted from moving around large parts of the city because of the influx of Jewish Israelis as a result of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

Among the areas where Palestinians’ movement has been restricted is the Ibrahimi Mosque, also known as the Cave of the Patriarchs, in central Hebron.

As the journalists navigated the Israeli road closures, they sent their own messages to their colleagues in Gaza – who were forced to endure two years of war marked by displacement, hunger, and loss.

Mamoun Wazwaz, photojournalist

“A thousand blessings to all of you – those who work with the international agencies, TV channels, websites, radio stations, and in the field. You gave everything and sacrificed immensely. I pray that your suffering ends after two years of hell, and that you never live through another war. Your message was the most sacred and powerful in history. You shook the world – because you conveyed the truth. No one could have done what you did.

“The psychological and emotional impact of those who died will never fade. [I remember when Al Jazeera Gaza bureau chief] Wael Dahdouh stood over his son’s body and said, ‘They took revenge on us through our children,’ – I felt those words cut deep into my heart. I saw the footage on television and broke down crying. Imagine how his colleagues, who live it with him, must have felt.

“We live here in Hebron in constant contact with the Israeli occupation forces – there are frequent incursions and military checkpoints. After the war began, following October 7, 2023, the confrontations and clashes were intense.

“They treated us as part of the war, not as neutral observers, and used every possible means to fight us. Many times, I would say goodbye to my family as if it were the last time.”

“You journalists in Gaza sacrificed your lives for your people and homeland. You risked everything to convey the truth, the suffering, and the crimes against Gaza’s people. Whenever one of you is killed, I feel as it I’ve lost someone myself – as if I were the one wounded or arrested.

“You carried the message until your last breath, and you never stopped. You inspire us to continue the path you and the generations before you began. Thank you for every photo, every shot, every moment you captured for the world to see the many, many faces of war.

“War meant displacement. War meant famine. War meant being targeted by the military. War meant stopping education. Through your work, you made the world see it all.”

Raed al-Sharif, journalist

“My feelings are conflicted today after the ceasefire was announced. We in the West Bank followed everything happening in Gaza, where hundreds of journalists were killed or wounded, some losing limbs. What happened was a real crime, a genocide. Journalists [were especially targeted] because the occupation doesn’t want reports to come out of Gaza.

“Honestly, I feel ashamed as a Palestinian journalist. Despite our sacrifices in the West Bank, they don’t amount to even a drop in the sea of what our colleagues in Gaza experienced. They offered their lives and bodies – the most precious sacrifice of all.

“It’s our duty as Palestinian journalists to carry the voice of our oppressed people and continue the journey. The ones who affected me most are our martyred colleagues – like the al-Ghad cameraman Yazan al-Zuweidi, and Al Jazeera’s Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh. As for Nidal al-Wahidi, he’s been missing since October 7 [2023] – we don’t know if he’s detained, martyred or wounded. That absence hurts deeply – he vanished from existence.

BBC Breakfast presenters Sally Nugent and Jon Kay paid tribute to late boxer Ricky Hatton at the start of Monday’s show, after news of his death broke on Sunday

Monday’s episode of BBC Breakfast kicked off with a heartfelt tribute to late boxing legend Ricky Hatton, following news of his passing on Sunday.

Hosts Jon Kay and Sally Nugent delivered an emotional opening as they began Monday’s (15 September) edition of BBC Breakfast, describing the former professional fighter as “adored”.

“Good morning, it is Monday, 15 September and tributes are being paid to Ricky Hatton after his death at the age of 46,” Sally opened. “Nicknamed The Hitman, he won world titles in two weight divisions and was simply adored by many fans.”

Jon added: “Following his retirement from boxing, Hatton was open about the struggles he faced in life, including problems with his mental health and addictions to drugs and alcohol. Police said his death is not believed to be suspicious.”

Ricky was discovered dead at his residence in Hyde, Tameside, Greater Manchester, on the morning of 14 September. Greater Manchester Police have confirmed they are not treating his death as suspicious.

A spokesperson revealed: “Officers were called by a member of the public to attend Bowlacre Road, Hyde, Tameside, at 6.45am today [September 14] where they found the body of a 46-year-old man. There are not currently believed to be any suspicious circumstances.”

Monday’s BBC Breakfast showcased numerous tributes to Ricky, with coverage displaying messages from various sports journalists, alongside celebrity figures such as Wayne Rooney, reports the Express.

A touching tribute was shared by former footballer Wayne, a close friend of the late boxer, in which he said: “I think he’s someone who captured the nation really. In terms of the support he got, it followed him all around the world in boxing. It’s devastating.”

Meanwhile, boxing journalist Steve Bunce highlighted the significance of Ricky’s openness about his struggles and commended the late boxer for making an “immense difference”.

“He actually made an immense difference. The amount of people that stopped him, times I was with him in different locations, where people would just stop him and say how much he’d helped by just raising his head, raising it up really high,” Steve commented on BBC Breakfast.

“The first sportsman in British sport to do it and talk about his mental health issues, talk about the darkness he was in.”

The journalist, appearing via video link, continued: “And also, face absolutely front on, like Ricky did in the ring, his addiction problems. He didn’t hide from them, he didn’t sweep them under the carpet, he didn’t push them aside and say ‘Oh, it’s nothing’. He dealt with them front on, face on.”

BBC Breakfast is broadcast at 6am on BBC One every day.

Pelicot has been praised globally for her courage during trial, which forced changes to France’s rape law.

Gisele Pelicot, who has been internationally hailed after testifying against her husband and dozens of other men who raped her, has been awarded France’s top civic honour.

Pelicot, 72, was named knight of the Legion of Honour on a list announced before France’s July 14 national day, the AFP news agency reported on Sunday.

She was among 589 people named for the honour, which recognises merit-based national service.

Pelicot refused to remain anonymous and publicly testified at a trial in 2024 against her former husband, Dominique Pelicot, who drugged her and arranged for her to be raped by dozens of men over a decade.

His co-conspirators tried to claim they were unaware that the acts were not consensual and blamed the husband.

Gisele Pelicot at the time called it a “trial of cowardice” and asserted there was no excuse for abusing her when she was unconscious. Her testimony gripped the world and led to Dominique Pelicot and 50 co-defendants being found guilty in the mass-rape case.

Lauded for her courage in exposing the case, which forced a change in France’s rape law, she has since been named among the world’s most influential people in international lists.

Gisele Pelicot has not spoken further since the trial. She is focusing on writing a book, scheduled for release in 2026, that delves into her perspective of the ordeal, according to her lawyer.

Writers, artists and international figures are also on the Legion of Honour list.

Singer, music producer and clothing designer Pharrell Williams, writer Marc Levy, actor Lea Drucker, singer Sylvie Vartan, and Holocaust survivor and educator Yvette Levy are some of the other recipients.