Editorial Policy

Last updated: December 2025

Kawkab Gaza is an independent publishing platform dedicated to research, analysis, and long-form writing on Gaza and its realities.
This policy explains what we publish, how we review submissions, and the standards we apply to protect accuracy, dignity, and intellectual integrity.

Editorial Principles

The baseline standards that apply to every submission

• Independence: We are not a party platform, a propaganda channel, or an institutional mouthpiece. Editorial decisions are based on merit and standards—not affiliation.
• Accuracy: Claims must be verifiable. When facts are uncertain, authors must state uncertainty clearly and avoid presenting speculation as certainty.
• Depth: We prioritize explanation over reaction, analysis over slogans, and argument over noise—especially on issues that invite simplification.
• Respect: We treat human suffering, identity, religion, and social tensions with seriousness. Sensationalism is rejected.
• Transparency: Authorship must be clear, and conflicts of interest must be disclosed where relevant.

What We Publish

We welcome high-quality work that makes a clear contribution—new insight, sound argument, documented testimony, or thoughtful interpretation grounded in reality.

• Analytical essays and long-form commentary
• Research notes, policy briefs, and data-driven analysis
• Interviews, profiles, and field reflections (with ethical safeguards)
• Cultural writing, reviews, and arts commentary
• Photo essays and visual work (with permissions and captions)

What We Do Not Publish

• Incitement, calls for violence, or glorification of harm
• Hate speech or dehumanizing language targeting groups by identity
• Unverified accusations against identifiable individuals or entities
• Doxxing or private personal information (addresses, phone numbers, IDs)
• Plagiarism, including lightly rewritten copies of existing work
• Pure propaganda that replaces reasoning with slogans
• Fabricated sources or invented quotations, statistics, and references

We reserve the right to decline or remove content that violates these standards or undermines the platform’s integrity.

Evidence and Sourcing Standards

Gaza-related content requires extra care—source discipline is non-negotiable

• Factual claims should be supported with references (reports, datasets, official documents, credible journalism, or peer-reviewed work where relevant).
• Statistics and figures must include the source and, when possible, the date and method.
• Quotations must be accurate and attributable.
• Images and media must be owned by the author or used with permission and proper credit.
• Eyewitness accounts are welcome but must be framed responsibly: what was observed, when, and what remains uncertain.

When a claim cannot be verified, it should be presented as interpretation—not as established fact.

Editorial Review and Editing

All submissions are reviewed before publication. Depending on the type of piece, the review may include editorial assessment of fit,
structure, clarity, and originality, as well as basic source checks.

We may edit for language and readability while preserving the author’s meaning. Substantive edits (major restructuring, factual corrections,
significant deletions) are coordinated with the author whenever feasible.

Corrections and Updates

• If an error is confirmed, we correct it as quickly as possible.
• For significant corrections, we may add a short note indicating what changed and when.
• If a piece becomes materially misleading due to new evidence, we may update it, annotate it, or (in rare cases) remove it.

To report an error, contact:
editor@kawkabgaza.com

Conflicts of Interest and Disclosures

Authors must disclose relevant conflicts of interest, including paid roles, consulting, employment, funding relationships,
or organizational affiliations connected to the topic.

Funding or affiliation does not determine editorial decisions; disclosure is required so readers can evaluate the work transparently.

Disclosure does not disqualify a submission; hiding it does.

Safety, Privacy, and Harm Minimization

• We may withhold sensitive personal details even if an author provides them.
• We may allow pseudonyms in exceptional cases where credible safety concerns exist (subject to editorial approval).
• We avoid content that endangers individuals, exposes civilians, or reveals operationally sensitive information.

Language

Kawkab Gaza publishes and accepts submissions in English and Arabic.

• Submissions may be made in either language.
• We may request minor language edits for clarity and readability.
• If translation is needed for wider reach or cross-posting, it will be coordinated with the author and credited appropriately.

Use of AI Tools

AI-assisted drafting is not automatically disallowed. However, the author remains fully responsible for
accuracy, sourcing, and originality.

• Invented citations, fake quotations, or synthetic “facts” are grounds for rejection.
• If AI materially shaped the text (beyond spelling/grammar), we may request a brief disclosure.

Copyright and Republishing

By submitting, authors confirm they have the right to publish the work and any included media. Unless otherwise agreed:

• Authors retain copyright.
• Kawkab Gaza receives the right to publish the work on the platform and promote it with excerpts.
• The work must be original and not under consideration elsewhere at the time of submission (republishing after publication is permitted with attribution and a link back).

Reposting and Promotion

By submitting material to Kawkab Gaza, authors acknowledge that the platform may promote published work across our official channels,
including our website pages and official accounts on social media platforms such as Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, and others.

Promotion may include sharing a link to the original post, quoting short excerpts, using the headline, or providing brief highlights or summaries — always with attribution.

We will not repost or circulate unpublished submitted content publicly without the author’s explicit consent.

Authors confirm they have the right to submit the text and any included media. If a submission contains third-party images or materials,
authors must ensure permissions allow reposting and promotional sharing.

Contact

For submissions, corrections, or editorial questions:
editor@kawkabgaza.com