Episode 61 of PalCast, titled “Goodbye from Genocide,” featured Gaza journalist Shrouq Al Aila. Speaking from the heart of a war zone, Al Aila shared her personal and professional struggles while reporting under Israeli bombardment. Her story included the devastating loss of her husband, journalist Roshdi Sarraj, who was killed while protecting their family and documenting attacks on ambulances. Al Aila, who won the 2024 Freedom of Press Award, offered a rare and raw account of life in Gaza during the ongoing genocide.
Hosted by Yousef and Tony, the episode documented the use of starvation as a weapon, the destruction of basic infrastructure, and the emotional toll on Gaza’s people. Al Aila described how civilians faced hunger, displacement, and constant danger from drones and airstrikes. She explained the near-impossible task of securing food and clean water, and how parents struggled to feed children with nothing more than canned goods or foraged vegetables cooked over dangerous wood fires.
Listeners heard how Israeli forces targeted people gathering firewood and blocked critical supplies like food, medicine, and fuel at border crossings. Al Aila recounted the impact of water shortages, fuel outages, and the collapse of Gaza’s health system. She also opened up about her own trauma—carrying her husband’s body to the hospital and raising their baby daughter in the ruins of their home. Her testimony captured not only personal grief but also the shared pain of thousands of Palestinian families.
Tony, who has recorded over 2,000 podcasts, called this “one of the most important and powerful episodes he had ever worked on.” The hosts urged international attention to the genocide and honored the courage of Gaza’s journalists. Episode 61 is now available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.