Mustafa Moien Ayyash | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mustafa Moien Mahmoud Ayyash (1992-09-18)September 18, 1992 (age 33) |
| Alma mater | Al-Ahliyya Amman University Karabük University |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Years active | 2006 – present |
| Known for | Gaza Now |
Mustafa Moien Mahmoud Ayyash (born 1992), commonly known asMustafa Moien Ayyash orMustafa Ayyash, is a Palestinian journalist. He is the founder and director of the Palestinian news channelGaza Now.
Mustafa Moien Mahmoud Ayash was born in theNuseirat refugee camp in the middle of theGaza Strip on September 18, 1992 in a Palestinian muslim family.[1]
Gaza Now, the news agency established by Mustafa Ayyash in 2005, played a vital role to publish news about the 2023Gaza war. His family was killed in an Israeli airstrike on theNuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, after Israeli aircraft targeted his home on November 22, 2023. His father, mother, spouses, children, sisters and their spouses and children, along with other displaced persons in his family home were killed.[2][3] His brother Muhammad Ayyash, the photojournalist of the Gaza Now, was also killed during the attack.[4] The Permanent Observer of Palestine at the United NationsSalah Abdel-Shafi and Chairman ofHamas Political BureauIsmail Haniyeh mourned the death of his family.[5][6] TheUnited Nations mistakenly used the name of Mustafa Ayyash instead of Muhammad Ayyash in a report on theKilling of journalists in the Gaza war.[7] The killing of Mustafa Ayyash was not published anywhere except the UN report. The Israeli media used the report to make doubt on theGaza Now after announcing the US sanction.[8][9] Ayyash tried to file a complaint against Israel after his family was killed but the authorities declined to receive a complaint against Israel.[10]
TheUnited States Department of the Treasury announced a sanction against Mustafa Ayyash on 27 March 2024.[11][12] Britain also announced sanctions against him on the allegation of providing financial services toHamas.[13]
Mustafa Ayyash was arrested by theAustrian Police on April 18, 2024 after the sanctions of the United States and Britain. The Austrian police also accessed hisWhatsApp account, which was followed by 300,000 users, and closed it, in addition to closing the channel's Facebook pages and accounts, which were followed by 8 million users.[14]
