Al-Jazeera Chief in Gaza Loses Wife, Daughter, and Son in Israeli Attack

Last October, Wife, Daughter, Grandson Among Victims
Photographer’s Son Also Killed in Airstrike on 7th
Israeli Attack, 109 Journalists Killed
Al Jazeera “Israel, Targeting Media Attack”

Two journalists from the Arab media outlet Al Jazeera were killed and another critically injured in an Israeli attack. One of the deceased journalists is the son of Wael Al-Dahdouh (52), the Gaza Bureau Chief of Al Jazeera. Al-Dahdouh lost his wife and children in an airstrike last October.

According to Yonhap News on the 8th, Al Jazeera strongly condemned the incident in a statement, saying, “The Israeli military targeted a car carrying our journalists in the northern part of Rafah in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of photojournalist Hamza Al-Dahdouh and cameraman Mustafa Turaya, and Hazem Razab was critically injured.” All of them were Al Jazeera journalists. Among the deceased, Hamza Al-Dahdouh was the son of Wael Al-Dahdouh, the Gaza Bureau Chief of Al Jazeera. With the additional deaths of two Al Jazeera journalists, the number of Palestinian journalists killed in this war due to Israeli military attacks has increased to 109.

Al-Dahdouh also lost four family members, including his wife, daughter, son, and grandson, in an Israeli airstrike on October 25th last year. He has now lost a son who was also a part of the media industry, just over two months later.

Al Jazeera criticized, “This incident demonstrates the Israeli military’s intent to demoralize journalists and their families by attacking them. This is a violation of the freedom of the press and the right to life.” The network further argued, “The International Criminal Court (ICC), governments around the world, human rights organizations, and the UN must hold the Israeli military accountable for their heinous crimes and call for an end to the attacks and killings of journalists.”

It also emphasized that it will mobilize all legal means to condemn the perpetrator, stand in solidarity with all journalists operating in the Gaza Strip, support them, and continue to report to expose the illegal actions of the Israeli military.

By. Jun Hyung Kim