AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org. I’m Amy Goodman.

We end today’s show in Gaza, where today’s date, October 7th, is seen as the beginning of Israel’s genocide. In the three years since the Hamas attack on Israel that killed nearly 1,200 people, Israeli forces have killed over 74,000 Palestinians. Many believe the death toll is a vast undercount. This is a displaced Palestinian from Beit Hanoun speaking today in Gaza City.

AKRAM ABU JARAD: [translated] The worst three years that have passed in our lives. There is no life, no living, no food, no basic necessities of life. We wait for water from 5:00 to 10:00. And we are living in the streets, homeless, tired, worn out. I mean, a life worse than this? We are not living, my friend. We are dead in Gaza.

AMY GOODMAN: We go now to Gaza City, where we’re joined by journalist Akram al-Satarri.

I want to thank you so much for being with us. We spoke to you a few years ago as a journalist. You then went on to work with a humanitarian aid organization for several years. Now we’re back, being able to speak to you in Gaza City. Can you describe what’s happening on the ground? We just reported that as Israelis mourn the dead at the music site in southern Israel, they could hear the booms of Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip right nearby. Tell us what’s happening where you are, Akram.

AKRAM AL-SATARRI: Well, October 7th was a day when Gaza changed once and forever. The way Palestinians have been living has changed. The way Palestinians have been managing their life has changed, as well. The way Palestinians were defining their life has changed. The Palestinians now are living in a de facto that has redefined everything — their understanding of life, their way of running and managing that life, their way to access things, their way to live, their way to stay in homes, their way to live in tents. Every single aspect of the life of the people of Gaza has changed once and forever.

Around 85% of the built environment in Gaza is already destroyed. Around 74% of the land of the Gaza Strip is also controlled by Israel and the IDF. Gazans have been struggling to access water and to access food. They have been facing significant public health hazards because of the fact that they were consuming water that was not properly treated. Organizations have been struggling for the sake of helping the people of Gaza. Statements were made by international and U.N. figures, diplomats all over the world, condemning the situation that has been going on, calling for Gazans to live and lead a normal life.

Unfortunately, for the third year now, and on October 7th, Gazans are reminded by the fact that they have been living in death and fear, destruction and displacement. Another Gazan was killed a couple of hours ago in Khan Younis refugee camp, 60-years-old Gazan that was targeted by IDF. Yesterday, another Palestinian was targeted and shot at a beach camp by another drone strike, and he also lost his life. Several people were injured.

The people who are living in the tents, with no even minimum standard for living, are living in exacerbating safety and security risks. The significant proportion of them is still not reunioned with their families that are outside of the Gaza Strip. And some of them, also significant part of them, around 8,000 families, are not aware about the whereabouts of the bodies of their missed family members. Around 250 journalists were killed. As you said, 74,000 Gazans were confirmed to be dead, while the number is much higher. Around 8,000 peoples are not — 8,000 Gazans are dead, but their bodies are not discovered yet.

The Gazans who were worried about their dears were organizing mass funerals for 150 bodies, for two bodies, where the memories that were remaining from the people were their remains, their clothes, their shoes, their watches and anything simple yet can give some comfort to the ones who were not sure about the whereabouts of the bodies of their dears.

The life in Gaza has changed forever. People are still struggling. And people are today reminded, since the last night — they’re reminded that the Israeli Air Force is still hovering all around different parts of the Gaza Strip, and that the IDF is still hunting Gazans, disturbing the already disturbed life, spreading death and displacement once and once again.

AMY GOODMAN: Akram, I’m wondering if you can respond to the United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk, who’s called Gaza a death trap for journalists. You have been a journalist in Gaza for years. As you said, you lost 250 — more than 250 colleagues. What has this meant, as the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not allow in international journalists, and then the Israeli military kills hundreds of Palestinian journalists?

AKRAM AL-SATARRI: The situation in Gaza is catastrophic as an overall situation when it comes to the general population, but there are some specific job-related hardships when it comes to the journalists. They were always there. They were the first responder, along with the medical teams, to cover the truth about the bombardments. And also, they were — the footage that we were providing was used by very significant committees that were fact-finding, and we were hoping that they would condemn the occupation. That made them also bear the brunt of most of the hostilities that were taking place in the Gaza Strip. That made them a target, which they were not supposed to be a target. They were targeted for doing their job.

Their job proved to be a dangerous job for the occupation, because it has been exposing some and most of the atrocities that have been taking place. They have discovered the truth. They have also — they have widespread presence worldwide, even when they are very dedicated local Palestinian journalists and the footage that have been provided — they have been provided was used and is still being used by diplomats, by INGOs, by U.N. agencies. And that’s why I believe they were classified as an enemy. And they have been paying that very heavy price that could reach their life being claimed by the ongoing war that has been merciless when it comes to the — to them, when it comes to the paramedics, when it comes to the medical teams, and when it comes to also humanitarian crews who are trying to reach out for the people in need and alleviate a bit of their suffering.

AMY GOODMAN: Akram, you have worked in the humanitarian field for the last few years. According to the U.N., over 560 humanitarian workers have been killed in Gaza in the last three years. What has been most shocking to you about what you witnessed during this work? And what made you decide to go from being a journalist to a humanitarian worker, and now back to being a journalist?

AKRAM AL-SATARRI: As a matter of fact, I indeed was working for a humanitarian organization. I was hoping that by working with that organization, I’d be able to support the humanitarian effort. I would be able to contribute to alleviation of the suffering of the people. And yes, indeed, I was very close to the people, some of the ex-prisoners who were released not being very well oriented to the situation. Some of them were with psychological situations. Some of them were unable to identify their families. Some others were not able to move. Some of them lost their limbs. I was there. I was hoping that I would help. And I was indeed helping with that organization, seeing the people, recording their experiences, extending a helping hand when needed. The organization was also helping the general population by empowering them, providing them with very essential supplies. And I also managed to find my way to still try to help people and extend a helping hand to them, even with me outside of that organization.

I believe the humanitarian situation is very catastrophic, and it is one of the direct results of October 7th. For such a significant period of time, people were not allowed to access any kind of food supplies whatsoever in the Gaza north, and some other times throughout the full Gaza Strip. People were deprived from the shelter. People were deprived from the nonfood items — more importantly, the tents that they used as a temporary shelter for the people of Gaza.

The toll that has been endured by the humanitarian workers is also very heavy. More than 500 people were killed. Most of them were killed during their job, during the service, during reaching out to the community or coming back from the internally displaced people camps. They were killed while cooking the food for the people in need when the food was extremely scarce. They were killed when they were reaching out for the children who are most vulnerable, for the elderly people, for the women, for the IDPs in general, who are also — even if they are young, even if they are men, they are also vulnerable because of the very scarce situation that was endured in Gaza, that is still very relevant to the day, to today.

So, the situation is extremely dire. The humanitarian workers have been trying to help and support the people. And they have already paid a heavy price, and they are still continuously paying that heavy price. Some of them were injured. Some others were not lucky enough to survive. But most of them are still determined to continue delivering the mandate and continue reaching out and supporting the people of Gaza. Despite the very difficult situation in Gaza, despite the fear of death and destruction, despite the fear of injury, despite the very lacking situation they have been living when it comes to fuel, when it comes to movement of cars, when it comes to the condition of streets and buildings and camps, the humanitarian workers are courageously continuing to deliver their mandate, continuing to work and continuing to see of their colleagues dying and being buried, without giving up that mandate and without giving up that noble mission, something that should be acknowledged, something that should be appreciated. And they all know very well that they have been serving this noble notion of supporting and uplifting people and providing them with very — with their very basic human right of access to food and supplies in a very critical conflict zone.

AMY GOODMAN: Akram al-Satarri, I want to thank you so much for being with us. Be safe. Gaza-based journalist, joining us today from Gaza City.

That does it for our show. Democracy Now! is currently accepting applications for an individual giving manager to support our fundraising team. You can learn more at democracynow.org.

I’m on the road here in the United States. On October 16th, we’ll be at the Woodstock Film Festival for an afternoon panel; then to Hollywood, California, on October 22nd; October 23rd at Stanford University, where the film Steal This Story, Please! will be playing, we’ll speak afterwards in the Q&A; on October 26th and 27th, University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University, Fort Collins. I’m Amy Goodman. Thanks for joining us.