On Sunday morning in the southern Gaza Strip, two journalists were killed and others injured in a bombing by Israeli occupation aircraft north of Rafah. One of the two journalists killed was Hamza Al-Dahdouh, 29, the son of Wael Al-Dahdouh, the head of Al Jazeera Media Network in Gaza. The other journalist killed was Mustafa Thuraya, when an Israeli airstrike targeted the press vehicle in the Al-Miraj area, north of the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. Palestine Today correspondent Ahmed Al-Barash and photographer Amer Abu Amr were also injured in the Israeli bombing.
Earlier in the now 93-day long Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip, on October 25th, Al Jazeera Head Wael Al-Dahdouh lost his wife (Amna), son (Mahmoud, 15), daughter (Sham, 7) and grandson (Adam, 1) in an Israeli airstrike.
Following that bombing, an Israeli journalist admitted on Israeli television that the family of Wael Al-Dahdouh was indeed the target of the bomb. Channel 13 journalist Zvi Yehezkeli admitted Israel purposefully murdered the family of Al Jazeera Gaza bureau chief Wael Dahdouh: “Generally we know the target. For example today there was a target: the family of an Al Jazeera reporter.”
Here is a video of that exchange, including English subtitles:
There we go. Transcribed with English subtitles based on the Hebrew dialogue.
Arab affairs correspondent at Israeli News 13 Zvi Yehezkeli clearly says that the target meant in this attack was the Al-Jazeera reporter’s family! https://t.co/FZD5mM55ao pic.twitter.com/zjo9SBBxJm— Nazih Fares #FixGameCrediting (@nazihfares) October 26, 2023
Several weeks after the targeted assassination of his wife and children, Israeli forces targeted Wael Al-Dahdouh and his cameraman, severely injuring both. While viewers watched on live TV, the cameraman was left bleeding, while Israeli forces prevented medics from treating him, until he was declared dead six hours later. Wael Al-Dahdouh miraculously survived the attack, but was severely wounded in his hand and body.
After the assassination of his last remaining child today, January 7, 2024, Wael Al-Dahdouh told Al Jazeera, “Hamza was everything to me, the eldest boy, he was the soul of my soul… these are the tears of parting and loss, the tears of humanity”.
Wael Al-Dahdouh, the man who lost everything and everyone he loved. They killed his wife and family two months ago and killed his son today. He is the lion of Gaza. He is the symbol of resistance. He is our hero. pic.twitter.com/Rwj6iUZJpi
— Karim Wafa Al-Hussaini (@DrKarimWafa) January 7, 2024
The Al Jazeera Media Network issued a statement saying, “The assassination of Mustafa and Hamza … whilst they were on their way to carry out their duty in the Gaza Strip, reaffirms the need to take immediate necessary legal measures against the occupation forces to ensure that there is no impunity.”
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate documented the death of 102 journalists and the serious injury of 71 during the year 2023 – all of whom were killed by Israeli forces during their invasion of Gaza.
