Pakistan, April 19 -- Motaz Azaiza is not your typical "influencer." This 25-year-old Palestinian photojournalist is not hawking products or promoting himself. He has been thrust onto the world stage by a brutal reality - the ongoing Israeli military offensive in Gaza since October 7 of last year, in which 33,000 Palestinians have been killed. While most foreign journalists were denied entry, Azaiza, with his camera and a flak jacket, became the "world's eyes and ears" in the war-torn region, as Time aptly puts it.

His inclusion on Time's "100 Most Influential People" list is not about personal glory. Neither the work is glamorous. Still, every picture he has shot is a testament to the resilience of the Palestinian people and the power o...