Israeli Journalist Amira Hass Wins Manuel Vázquez Montalbán International Journalism Prize

Israeli journalist Amira Hass has been awarded the 2026 Manuel Vázquez Montalbán International Journalism Prize in the cultural and political journalism category, recognized by the Col·legi de Periodistes de Catalunya for her reporting from the occupied Palestinian territories. The jury selected Hass by unanimous vote during a May 28 meeting in Barcelona, citing her sustained commitment to rigorous reporting and critical examination of Israeli government policy.

Unanimous Decision by the Catalan Journalists’ College

The award carries a cash prize of 5,000 euros, funded jointly by the Col·legi de Periodistes de Catalunya, Grup Planeta, El Punt Avui, SER Catalunya, Ràdio Barcelona, and Prensa Ibérica, with logistical support from Catalunya Internacional. The jury was chaired by journalist Josep Cuní, alongside Joan Alegre, Anna Balcells, Joan Cañete Bayle, Patrici Tixis, and Col·legi dean Joan Maria Morros.

This year’s selection marks the return of the cultural and political journalism category, which had been suspended following the COVID-19 pandemic after its previous iteration in 2019, when Argentine journalist Leila Guerriero received the honor. The award was established in 2004 to honor the legacy of the late Catalan writer and journalist Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, featuring categories for both political-cultural journalism and sports journalism in partnership with FC Barcelona.

Three Decades Reporting From Gaza and Ramallah

Born in Jerusalem in 1956, Hass became the first Israeli journalist to base herself in the occupied Palestinian territories, moving to Gaza in 1993 and relocating to Ramallah in 1997. Since 1991, she has reported for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, documenting military occupation and daily life in Palestinian society. Her published works include Ramallah Chronicles, Drinking the Sea at Gaza, and Domani andrà peggio, a collection of columns written for the Italian weekly Internazionale.

During the award ceremony held at the Col·legi de Periodistes de Catalunya headquarters on Rambla de Catalunya in Barcelona, Dean Joan Maria Morros praised Hass for explaining Palestinian reality from the ground with rigor and independence. The event opened with a tribute to 257 Palestinian media workers killed by the Israeli military in Gaza, citing figures from the International Center for the Protection of Journalists.

Hass Receives Manuel Vázquez Montalbán International Journalism Prize

Accepting the honor from Jaume Duch, conseller d’Unió Europea i Acció Exterior, Hass reflected on her career in low-technology, boots-on-the-ground reporting, emphasizing her focus on listening to individual Palestinian testimonies to document patterns of power and domination. The ceremony was attended by former Catalan correspondents who worked in the Middle East.

Past recipients of the Manuel Vázquez Montalbán International Journalism Prize include Maruja Torres, Tomàs Alcoverro, Seymour Hersh, Teresa Pàmies, Roberto Saviano, Jordi Évole, and Andreu Missé.