40 Questions

The BBC has recently dispatched so many reporters to Gaza that I’ve lost count. So far we’ve had Jeremy Bowen, Yolande Knell, Lyse Doucet, Ian Pannell, Chris Morris, Paul Adams,  Martin Patience, Jon Donnison John Simpson; in Israel Orla Geurin  Bethany Bell and James Reynolds. I’m sure there are more and sorry if I’ve forgotten you. What’s happened to Kevin Connolly? 

We’ve seen analyses and comment by James Robbins, Frank Gardner, Stephen Sacker, Andrew Roy, adversarial interviews by Emily Maitless, Kirsty Wark, Robert Peston, the Today team, the World At One team, the News 24 team, The World Tonight team,  In fact it would be easier to list the individuals who haven’t publicly opined on Gaza.  Alan Titchmarsh, maybe. Alan Partridge? 

Over at H/P ‘Saul O’ has compiled a list of questions, 40 in total, aimed at international journos on the ground. They’re  designed to prise from journalists information that they might prefer to keep to themselves till they’re safely home, or forever. Press accreditation, Hamas tentacles, whatever.

Here’s a selection: 

1.      Have you or any of your colleagues been intimidated by Hamas?

2.       Do you feel restricted in your ability to ‘say what you see’ in Gaza?      

3        How do you feel about the Spanish journalist who said Hamas would

 kill any journalist if they filmed rocket fire?

4.       Has Hamas pressured you to delete anything you have published?

5.       Has Hamas ever threatened to take your phone, laptop or camera?

6.       Has Hamas ever taken the phone, laptop or camera of a colleague in Gaza?

7.       Have you seen Hamas fighters in Gaza?

Surely one of them has seen at least some Hamas fighters. Or some human shields. They can’t all be as Blind as a Bowen. We might patent that simile.

 I’m aiming low. Just for the BBC -  because this blog is dedicated to you. XX