LONDON: CNN chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward has become the first Western journalist to enter the Gaza Strip without supervision from the Israel Defense Forces, providing a firsthand account of what she described as “absolute horror.”
She crossed the border on Wednesday with UAE medical volunteers to visit a field hospital, in defiance of an Israeli ban on foreign journalists independently entering the besieged enclave. Israel has allowed some journalists to enter under IDF supervision.
During a TV appearance on CNN, Ward shared insights into the brief but impactful hours spent on the ground.
“Even in that brief window, you really got a sense of the absolute horrors that have been taking place in Gaza,” she said.
Reflecting on the extent of the damage witnessed, she added: “I can honestly say I don’t think we’ve ever seen it quite on this scale.”
Due to the access ban, international reporters have had to rely on updates from Palestinian journalists, aid and health workers, and social media, despite intermittent communication cut-offs by the Israeli military.
At least 63 journalists have been killed since the start of the Gaza conflict on Oct. 7, most of them victims of Israeli military action.
In the initial stages of the conflict, Ward faced accusations of fabricating a video that depicted her seeking shelter from bombs during live coverage near the Israel-Gaza border. CNN vehemently refuted these claims, asserting the authenticity of the video.
