Sami Shahada is a veteran Palestinian photojournalist and cameraman with TRT Arabic. He began his career as a photographer in Gaza in 2008 and has since documented every major conflict to strike the Gaza Strip, including the wars of 2008, 2012, 2014, 2021, and the war that began on October 7, 2023. Through his camera, Shahada has captured the devastation and human suffering caused by war, often risking his life to show the reality on the ground.
On April 12, 2024, while covering Israeli attacks on civilians in the Nuseirat Camp, Shahada was seriously injured when a tank shell struck him even though he was wearing full press identification. The explosion resulted in the amputation of his leg. He remained conscious throughout the ordeal and narrowly survived after emergency surgery.
After being prevented from traveling for more than a year, he was eventually able to leave Gaza for Türkiye, where, with the support of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and TRT, he continues his medical treatment.