Gaza Now News Network

Gaza Now News Network, commonly known as Gaza Now, is a Palestinian news agency and media outlet based in Gaza. Its activities have included satellite television broadcasting, online news publication, social-media distribution and live coverage of political and military events affecting Gaza and the wider State of Palestine. The outlet’s television service was established in 2006 and has broadcast on Nilesat, combining news with political, cultural, sports and entertainment programming. Its online channels, particularly Telegram and Facebook, became increasingly important to its reach. The organization’s public profile expanded sharply during the Gaza war that began in October 2023. Reporting cited by the Washington Post and the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Lab described Gaza Now as one of several Hamas-aligned or Hamas-affiliated channels that grew rapidly during the conflict and helped circulate videos, battlefield updates and other conflict-related material. Before the war, its Telegram channel reportedly had about 344,000 users; by early November 2023, it had grown to approximately 1.9 million subscribers. Average views per post also increased substantially during the same period. These figures indicate the outlet’s importance as a high-volume distribution channel, although they do not establish the accuracy or independence of its reporting. Gaza Now’s editorial and political identity has been closely associated in public reporting with Hamas. The outlet has carried material supportive of Hamas and, according to reporting about its social-media accounts, praised the 2022 El'ad stabbing in Israel. Twitter subsequently removed its account. During the 2023–2024 Gaza war, Telegram restricted access to the channel in some app-distribution environments, while the channel reportedly remained reachable through Telegram’s web service and an application downloaded directly from Telegram’s website. Gaza Now had previously criticized social-media platforms for restricting Palestinian conflict-related channels. The organization has also been involved in controversies concerning graphic and politically sensitive material. In May 2017, a Gaza Now reporter livestreamed the execution in Gaza City of three Palestinians whom Hamas accused of helping Israel locate Hamas military commander Mazen Faqha. Human Rights Watch condemned the executions. Gaza Now said it had not received an instruction from Gaza’s Interior Ministry or Media Office prohibiting the filming. The outlet’s founder, Mustafa Ayyash, who was living in Austria at the time, said the reporter later went into hiding because of fears of arrest by Hamas security forces. The outlet experienced further platform-related incidents. Activists accused Facebook in 2021 of placing a discouraging notice or pop-up on the Gaza Now page, which prompted allegations of anti-Palestinian bias. On 9 December 2022, hackers deleted the contents of Gaza Now’s Telegram channel; Palestinian social-media users attributed the incident to Israeli hackers, although the attribution was not independently established in the supplied reference material. On 13 October 2023, the channel disabled emoji reactions and removed earlier reactions from its posts, without publicly established reasons. In November 2023, reporting stated that relatives of Mustafa Ayyash and Gaza Now photojournalist Mohammad Moin Ayyash were killed in an Israeli airstrike. Palestinian representative Salah Abdel-Shafi and Hamas political bureau chairman Ismail Haniyeh were among those reported to have mourned the deaths. In March 2024, the United States and the United Kingdom sanctioned Gaza Now, Mustafa Ayyash and entities or individuals associated with an alleged fundraising network, asserting that funds were being raised in support of Hamas. These sanctions materially affected the outlet’s international regulatory and reputational position. The supplied sources do not establish its current corporate structure, ownership, fina…

Gaza Now was established as a television channel in 2006 and broadcast on Nilesat. Its programming combined Gaza-related news with entertainment and programs covering political, cultural and sporting subjects. The channel’s reporting focused on daily events in Gaza and elsewhere in the State of Palestine. The outlet drew international attention in May 2017 after a reporter livestreamed the execution in Gaza City of three Palestinians accused by Hamas of helping Israel locate Hamas military commander Mazen Faqha. Human Rights Watch condemned the executions. Gaza Now stated that it had not received an instruction from the Gaza Interior Ministry or Media Office prohibiting the filming. Mustafa Ayyash, identified as the outlet’s founder and director, said the reporter later went into hiding because of concerns about arrest by Hamas security forces. During the following years, Gaza Now expanded its presence on digital platforms. Activists criticized Facebook in 2021 over an alleged discouraging pop-up displayed when users viewed the outlet’s page. In 2022, Twitter removed Gaza Now’s account after the outlet praised the El'ad stabbing in Israel. Its Telegram channel was hacked on 9 December 2022, with all channel content reportedly deleted. Palestinian social-media users attributed the attack to Israeli hackers, but the supplied reference does not confirm that attribution. The outlet’s reach increased dramatically during the Gaza war that began in October 2023. The Telegram channel was described by the Washington Post and the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Lab as one of several Hamas-aligned or Hamas-affiliated channels that helped distribute conflict videos and messaging. Subscriber numbers reportedly rose from roughly 344,000 before the war to approximately 1.9 million by early November, and average views per post increased to around 432,000. On 13 October 2023, Gaza Now removed emoji reactions from its Telegram posts, including older posts, without a publicly documented explanation. Later that month, Telegram restricted access to the channel in some app-store versions, although access continued through Telegram’s web interface and a directly downloaded version of the application. On 23 November 2023, relatives of Mustafa Ayyash and Gaza Now photojournalist Mohammad Moin Ayyash were reported killed in an Israeli airstrike. The deaths were publicly mourned by Palestinian representative Salah Abdel-Shafi and Hamas political bureau chairman Ismail Haniyeh. On 27 March 2024, the United States and the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on Gaza Now, Mustafa Ayyash and parties identified as part of an alleged fundraising network, including Al-Qureshi Executives, Aakhirah Ltd. and Aozma Sultana. The governments alleged that the network raised funds in support of Hamas. The available reference material does not provide reliable information about Gaza Now’s present ownership, legal structure, revenue, staffing or operational continuity.

1. 2024U.S. and U.K. sanctions

   The United States and United Kingdom sanctioned Gaza Now, Mustafa Ayyash and associated parties over alleged fundraising in support of Hamas.

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2. 2023Digital audience expands during Gaza war

   Gaza Now’s Telegram subscriber base and average post views reportedly grew several-fold after the start of the Gaza war.

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3. 2022Telegram channel hacked

   The contents of Gaza Now’s Telegram channel were deleted in a hacking incident.

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4. 2017Execution livestream controversy

   A Gaza Now reporter livestreamed a Hamas execution in Gaza City, prompting condemnation from Human Rights Watch and concerns about the reporter’s safety.

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5. 2006Television channel established

   Gaza Now’s television service was established and began broadcasting on Nilesat with news, entertainment, political, cultural and sports programming.

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A Gaza-centered Palestinian news and broadcasting outlet positioned around rapid local reporting, conflict coverage and distribution through satellite television and high-reach social-media channels. Public reporting characterizes it as Hamas-aligned or Hamas-affiliated.

• Gaza Now television channelSatellite television2006

  A Nilesat-broadcast television service established in 2006. Its schedule has included Gaza and Palestine news, political discussions, cultural and sports programming, entertainment and coverage of major regional events.

• Gaza Now Telegram channelDigital news distribution

  A high-reach Telegram channel used to distribute breaking news, conflict videos, images and other updates. It became one of the outlet’s most prominent products during the Gaza war, when its subscriber base and post engagement reportedly increased substantially.

• Gaza Now Facebook pageSocial-media publishing

  A Facebook presence used for news publication, video distribution and audience engagement. The page became the subject of criticism in 2021 over an alleged discouraging notice shown to visitors.

• 2024Response to international sanctionsOther

  The United States and United Kingdom alleged that Gaza Now and associated parties were involved in fundraising for Hamas.

  What changed. Both governments imposed sanctions on Gaza Now, Mustafa Ayyash and associated entities or individuals.

  Aftermath. The sanctions increased regulatory restrictions and international scrutiny around the outlet. The supplied sources do not document a formal response by Gaza Now.

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• 2023Disable Telegram emoji reactionsStrategy

  During the opening phase of the Gaza war, Gaza Now changed the interaction settings on its Telegram channel.

  What changed. On 13 October, the channel disabled emoji reactions and removed reactions from earlier posts.

  Aftermath. The reason for the change was not established in the supplied reference material.

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• 2024Sanctions over alleged Hamas fundraisingControversy

  The United States and United Kingdom sanctioned Gaza Now, Mustafa Ayyash and associated entities, alleging that they raised funds to support Hamas.

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• 2022Praise for El'ad stabbing and account removalControversy

  Gaza Now praised the 2022 El'ad stabbing, after which Twitter removed its account. The incident contributed to scrutiny of the outlet’s political alignment and platform-policy compliance.

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• 2017Livestreamed Gaza executionControversy

  Gaza Now broadcast footage of a Hamas execution of three Palestinians accused of assisting Israel. Human Rights Watch condemned the executions, and the incident raised questions about the publication of graphic material and media restrictions in Gaza.

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• 2023Telegram channel grows rapidly during Gaza war

  Gaza Now’s Telegram audience reportedly expanded from approximately 344,000 users before the war to about 1.9 million by early November, while average post views rose sharply.

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• 2023Gaza Now disables Telegram emoji reactions

  On 13 October, Gaza Now disabled emoji reactions and removed earlier reactions from its Telegram posts. The reason was not established in the supplied sources.

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• 2023Telegram restricts access to Gaza Now channel in some app environments

  Telegram reportedly restricted access to Gaza Now and other Hamas-affiliated channels in versions distributed through Google Play and Apple’s App Store. The channel remained available through Telegram’s web version and a directly downloaded application.

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• 2023Family members of Gaza Now personnel killed in airstrike

  Family members of founder Mustafa Ayyash and photojournalist Mohammad Moin Ayyash were reported killed in an Israeli airstrike on 23 November. Palestinian and Hamas officials publicly mourned the deaths.

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• 2022Gaza Now Telegram channel hacked

  On 9 December, hackers deleted the contents of Gaza Now’s Telegram channel. Palestinian social-media users blamed Israeli hackers, but the supplied material does not independently establish the perpetrators.

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• 2021Gaza Now Facebook page accused of receiving a discouraging pop-up

  Activists accused Facebook of placing a discouraging notice on the Gaza Now page, leading to allegations that the platform was treating Palestinian media unfairly.

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1. Gaza Now
2. Official Gaza Now website