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Palestinian chef honored for resilience as Gaza faces humanitarian crisis
Palestinian chef and food blogger Hamada Shaqoura has been awarded the 2025 James Beard Broadcast Media Emerging Voice Award for his innovative cooking videos filmed amidst the ruins of Gaza. The recognition comes as the region continues to endure a devastating siege marked by starvation and violence.
Cooking amid crisis
Shaqoura’s videos, often recorded in the rubble of bombed-out neighborhoods, show him preparing meals for displaced children using ingredients salvaged from humanitarian aid packages. In a pre-recorded video aired during the awards ceremony at Chicago’s Lyric Opera House, he shared his reality: “I’m speaking to you today from Gaza—not from a kitchen or studio, but from a place filled with silence, fear, and uncertainty.”
Since October 2023, when Israeli airstrikes intensified and entire communities were displaced, Shaqoura has turned his grief into action. His mission: to provide children with warm, comforting meals, transforming food into a symbol of love and resistance.
“In a time when everything collapsed, food became my way of expressing love and safety,” Shaqoura explained. The laughter of children in his videos contrasts with the grim backdrop of destruction and the persistent hum of surveillance drones.
A grassroots effort to survive
In response to the worsening humanitarian crisis, Shaqoura co-founded Watermelon Relief, a volunteer-led initiative providing food and aid to displaced families across Gaza. The blockade, now in its second year, has severely restricted the flow of humanitarian supplies, leaving families to risk their lives for basic necessities like flour.
Despite the honor of receiving one of the culinary world’s most prestigious awards, Shaqoura could not attend the ceremony, even virtually. A communications blackout caused by an Israeli strike on Gaza’s fragile infrastructure left him completely cut off. Yet, the award serves as a testament to his resilience and the enduring strength of the Palestinian people.
Global recognition amid ongoing violence
Israel’s blockade, described by human rights organizations as a weapon of collective punishment, continues to choke off food, medical supplies, and aid. Since May 2025, over 330 Palestinians have been killed, and the humanitarian corridor established with international support has been criticized as inadequate and dangerous.
Shaqoura’s recognition highlights a painful irony: while Western institutions celebrate Palestinian creativity, they often fail to acknowledge the systemic violence driving their suffering. His award is not just a personal achievement—it is a reminder of the resilience of a besieged people and a call for the world to confront the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
