Gaza – Public Relations:
In a remarkable achievement that reflects the excellence of Palestinian youth in the field of investigative journalism, student Zarifa Abu Qoura from the Department of Journalism and Media and Communication Technology at the Faculty of Humanities, Al-Israa University – Palestine, won the Gold Award during the annual conference of the ARIJ Network (Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism).
This honor came in recognition of her investigative report entitled “Israel’s Fangs Tear into Palestinians,” which was produced for ARIJ and the British newspaper The Guardian, in collaboration with journalist Aziza Nofal and journalist Mahmoud Al-Sebki. The investigation revealed the Israeli occupation’s use of trained dogs to carry out attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, tracing the routes of importing these dogs and the mechanisms of their training and deployment for military purposes.
In a statement on this occasion, the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at Al-Israa University, Dr. Asmaa Nasr, expressed her pride in this honorable achievement, affirming that this win embodies the high level of academic and professional excellence attained by the faculty’s students and reflects the success of its academic programs in preparing journalists equipped with research and investigative skills in accordance with the highest professional and ethical standards.
Dr. Nasr added that this achievement highlights the ability of Palestinian students, despite the difficult circumstances faced by the Palestinian people, to convey the Palestinian narrative to prestigious international media platforms and to employ investigative journalism as an effective tool to expose occupation violations and defend human rights.
She also praised the efforts of the student and the academic supervisors, commending the role of academic and media partnerships in refining students’ skills and enhancing Al-Israa University’s presence at regional and international forums.
Zarifa Abu Qoura is considered one of the rising young figures in Palestinian journalism; she previously reached the shortlist for the Martin Adler Prize for Freelance Journalists, received the Shireen Abu Akleh Fellowship for Investigative Journalism, and worked with several international media institutions, most notably Al Jazeera and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
This achievement comes as part of Al-Israa University’s commitment to supporting its outstanding students, strengthening its academic and media role in serving the Palestinian cause, and promoting the values of truth and professionalism in journalistic work.
