An Israeli airstrike killed two Palestinian journalists in southern Gaza on Sunday, including the son of veteran Al Jazeera correspondent Wael Dahdouh, who lost his wife, two other children and a grandson — and was nearly killed himself — earlier in the war. Dahdouh has continued to report on the fighting between Israel and Hamas even as it has taken a devastating toll on his own family, becoming a symbol for many of the perils faced by Palestinian journalists, dozens of whom have been killed while covering the conflict.
Quick Read
Israeli Airstrike Fatalities: An Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza killed two Palestinian journalists, including Hamza Dahdouh, the son of Al Jazeera correspondent Wael Dahdouh.
Impact on Wael Dahdouh’s Family: Wael Dahdouh previously lost his wife, two other children, and a grandson in earlier stages of the conflict. He has continued reporting despite these personal losses.
Journalists Targeted: Hamza Dahdouh and Mustafa Tharaya, a freelance journalist, were killed while driving to an assignment. Another journalist, Hazem Rajab, was seriously wounded.
No Comment from Israeli Military: There has been no immediate response from the Israeli military regarding the incident.
Wael Dahdouh’s Commitment: Wael Dahdouh, a prominent figure in Al Jazeera’s coverage, has vowed to continue reporting on the conflict, emphasizing the injustices against civilians and journalists.
Al Jazeera’s Statement: Al Jazeera accused Israel of deliberately targeting reporters and condemned the attacks, announcing plans to pursue legal action.
Previous Incidents Involving Dahdouh: Wael Dahdouh was reporting on the offensive in late October when he learned of his family members’ deaths. He was also wounded in a December airstrike.
Deaths of Journalists and Civilians: According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, numerous reporters from various nationalities have been killed since the beginning of the conflict.
Overall Casualties: Over 22,800 Palestinians, mostly women and minors, have been killed, alongside significant Israeli civilian casualties.
Israel’s Stance on Airstrikes: Israel denies targeting journalists and states it aims to avoid civilian casualties, attributing the high death toll to Hamas’ operations in densely populated areas.
Displacement in Gaza: Approximately 85% of Gaza’s population has been displaced, with many seeking shelter in areas that are still vulnerable to Israeli strikes.
The Associated Press has the story:
Veteran Correspondent’s son is the 5th member of his family killed by Israeli strikes on Gaza
Newslooks- RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) —
An Israeli airstrike killed two Palestinian journalists in southern Gaza on Sunday, including the son of veteran Al Jazeera correspondent Wael Dahdouh, who lost his wife, two other children and a grandson — and was nearly killed himself — earlier in the war.
Dahdouh has continued to report on the fighting between Israel and Hamas even as it has taken a devastating toll on his own family, becoming a symbol for many of the perils faced by Palestinian journalists, dozens of whom have been killed while covering the conflict.
Hamza Dahdouh, who was also working for Al Jazeera, and Mustafa Tharaya, a freelance journalist, were killed when a strike hit their car while they were driving to an assignment in southern Gaza, according to Al Jazeera. A third journalist, Hazem Rajab, was seriously wounded, it said.
Amer Abu Amr, a photojournalist, said in a Facebook post that he and another journalist, Ahmed al-Bursh, survived the strike.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
Wael Dahdouh, 53, has been the face of Al Jazeera’s 24-hour coverage of this war and previous rounds of fighting for millions of Arabic-speaking viewers across the region, nearly always appearing on air in the blue helmet and flak jacket worn to identify journalists in the Palestinian territories.
Speaking to Al Jazeera after his son’s burial, Dahdouh vowed to continue reporting on the war.
“The whole world must look at what is happening here in the Gaza Strip,” he said. “What is happening is a great injustice to defenseless people, civilian people. It is also unfair for us as journalists.”
In a statement, Al Jazeera accused Israel of deliberately targeting the reporters and condemned the “ongoing crimes committed by the Israeli occupation forces against journalists and media professionals in Gaza.” It also vowed to take “all legal measures to prosecute the perpetrators of these crimes.”
Dahdouh was reporting on the offensive in late October when he received word that his wife, daughter and another son had been killed in an Israeli airstrike. His grandson, wounded in the same strike, died hours later. The Qatar-based broadcaster later aired footage of him weeping over the body of his son while still wearing his blue press vest.
In December, an Israeli strike on a school in Khan Younis wounded Dahdouh and Al Jazeera cameraman Samer Abu Daqqa. Dahdouh was able to run for help, but Abu Daqqa bled to death hours later as ambulances were unable to reach him because of blocked roads, according to Al Jazeera.
Earlier in December, a strike killed the father, mother and 20 other family members of another Al Jazeera correspondent, Momen Al Sharafi.
The Committee to Protect Journalists says at least 70 Palestinian reporters, as well as four Israeli and three Lebanese reporters, have been killed since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack triggered the war in Gaza and an escalation in fighting along Israel’s border with Lebanon.
Over 22,800 Palestinians have been killed in the war, mostly women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths. Some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in Israel during the initial Hamas attack.
Israel denies targeting journalists and says it makes every effort to avoid harming civilians, blaming the high death toll on the fact that Hamas fights in densely populated urban areas.
Some 85% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million have fled their homes, with most seeking shelter in Israeli-designated safe zones in southern Gaza. But Israel also regularly carries out strikes in those areas, leading many Palestinians to feel that nowhere in the besieged territory is safe.
Palestinian journalists have played a essential role in reporting on the conflict for local and international media outlets, even as many have lost loved ones and been forced to flee their own homes because of the fighting.
