Plestia Alaqad

Plestia Alaqad is a Palestinian journalist born and raised in Gaza City. She studied New Media and Journalism at Eastern Mediterranean University and graduated in 2022, on top of her class. 

Plestia is mainly known for her courageous reporting on the Israeli war on Gaza having more than 4.5 million people watching Gaza through her eyes on Instagram, and her work has been shared by international media outlets such as Al Jazeera, The New York Times, BBC, and The Washington Post. 

Plestia is also an activist who advocates for Palestine in different academic forums, and she has been a keynote speaker at various international summits. Her work has also inspired youth around the world, and in February, she delivered her first TEDx talk, titled "From Struggles to Strength," virtually at TEDxMase Youth.

Plestia recently showcased her poetic talents as the featured poet at the Poetry Grand Slam Bankstown event in Australia where she now resides.