Gaza, Lebanon, Israel and Gulf States teams indefatigable during missile strikes after nearly a year of war

By The Mideast Team

Since the devastating events of last October 7th, AP journalists and freelancers in Gaza, Lebanon, Israel and Gulf States in the Middle East have worked tirelessly around the clock to deliver the most up to date news developments to the world, often at great personal risk.  

As the situation escalated last weekend between Israel and Hezbollah, the MID team remained competitive, breaking news, finding fresh angles and capturing haunting visuals to inform audiences around the globe on the situation. 

Teams in Lebanon and Gaza heard strikes from their own beds and scrambled to get images and information. Through this chaos, AP’s team was able to deliver powerful and accurate coverage as the world watched. 

Stories covering the strikes were among the week’s top performers. And for much of the past year, stories out of the Middle East have consistently ranked among the most used with customers.

Nearly a year since the Hamas attacks in southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and ignited massive retaliation against Hamas in Gaza, the news from the region not only mounts in sheer volume but spirals into unexpected directions, with Israel attacking the entrenched Iranian-allied militant group Hezbollah using pager and walkie-talkie bombs, airstrikes and a massive bombing on Hezbollah headquarters in Beirut to kill Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s longtime leader. A ballistic missile barrage from Iran against Israel that followed was largely deflected by Israeli defenses, as the world waits to see what will happen next.

Through it all, as it has for the past year, AP’s team has been determined to deliver powerful, all format, visually rich coverage to inform the world.  In the words of Middle East news director Victoria Eastwood, “The team is driven by duty and professional pride. The emotional toll is enormous, as is the personal one. It’s impossible to count the collective hours of effort in the region, and across the AP, the risks taken, the birthdays gone uncelebrated, family moments missed.”

The judges wished to honor the dedication, resilience and devotion to the story by AP’s journalists in the region over the year. 

For powerful, courageous and authoritative work, coverage by the Middle East team in the region earns this week’s Best of the AP — First Winner.

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