- Wael Al-Dahdouh, Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief, received the heartbreaking news of his wife and two children’s deaths in a deliberate Israeli attack on Palestinian journalists. Footage captured him at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Hospital in Deir al-Balah, touching his 15-year-old son Mahmoud’s face and cradling his seven-year-old daughter Sham. Despite threats to his family’s safety, he remains committed to reporting on Israeli atrocities in Gaza.
- The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports that multiple Palestinian journalists have been killed, injured, detained, or are missing during recent weeks, with many more incidents under investigation, including damage to journalists’ offices and homes. A total of 48 media facilities have been targeted.
Al Jazeera Arabic presenter Tamer Almisshal asserts that Dahdouh is the “voice of Gaza.” Consequently, he explains that Dahdouh’s family members were specifically targeted and killed as a part of ongoing Israeli targeting of Palestinian journalists. Dahdouh, is Al Jazeera Arabic’s Gaza bureau chief.
“Wael Al-Dahdouh is a pillar in the world of journalism and in Gaza. He’s covered the Israeli offensives and wars on Gaza for years, the targeting of journalists, and the killing of women and children, he said.
In the video Wael Al-Dahdouh, received the devastating news that his wife and two children had been killed.
Heartbreaking footage captured our brother at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Hospital in Deir al-Balah. He was seen tenderly reaching out to touch the face of his 15-year-old son, Mahmoud, who had dreams of following in his father’s footsteps as a journalist.
Wael Al-Dahdouh cradled the lifeless body of his seven-year-old daughter, Sham.
Upon receiving the devastating news of his family being killed, he said:
“We will not let our enemies gloat over us. Allah is sufficient for us and the best of those on Whom to depend.”
“Wael has continued to report on Israeli atrocities despite the ongoing threats against him and his family, and he’s refused to leave Gaza in order to convey to the world what is happening there,” Almisshal said.
“His voice will go on – that we can guarantee. All our voices will go on, and we’ll continue to cover this assault to get the truth out every day.”
On Monday, Palestinian journalist, filmmaker and Ain Media co-founder Roshdi Sarraj was killed in Gaza.
Committee to Protect Journalists (CJP) Report
According to the Committee to protect journalists (CJP), at least 20 Palestinian Journalists have been killed in Palestine, 8 journalists have been injured and 3 have been detained or are missing.
However, the committee’s latest count is most likely inaccurate, as CPJ officials say they are also investigating at least 100 additional reports of Palestinian journalists killed, missing, detained or threatened. Among these reports are accounts of damage done to journalists’ offices and homes. 48 media facilities have been targeted.
Research by CPJ found that there were more than 10 incidents of assaults, arrests of Palestinian journalists from the Israeli Defence Force (IDF), threats, cyberattacks and censorship targeting journalists whilst they were working in Gaza and Occupied Palestine.
Prior to the outbreak of the recent events in the Middle East, the Israeli government was under fire by humanitarian groups for the killing and targeting of journalists. Last year, the Israeli military initially denied that one of its soldiers shot and killed Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh of Al Jazeera. At the time Shireen was wearing a helmet and vest that was labeled “press.”
The CPJ issued a report this year highlighting how her death was not a one-off, but rather part of a long, devastating pattern. The organization’s report found that at least 20 journalists have been killed by Israeli military fire since 2001 for which “to date, no one has been held accountable.”
