Al Jazeera says Gaza bureau chief's family killed in Israeli air raid
The family of Al Jazeera Arabic's bureau chief in Gaza was killed in an Israeli air raid Wednesday, the news outlet reported.
Al Jazeera reported that the wife, son, daughter and grandson of Wael Dahdouh were killed in their home during an air raid in the Nuseirat camp in the center of Gaza. The family was seeking refuge in the camp in the wake of Israel Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu's order for all civilians to move south in anticipation of an expected ground invasion in the north, the outlet reported.
Al Jazeera's article on the deaths included photos of Dahdouh in the hospital in Deir al-Balah where he saw his wife, son and daughter in the morgue. His grandson was declared dead two hours later, Al Jazeera said.
Other members of Dahdouh's family who were staying at a house at the Nuseirat refugee camp survived the attack, and rescue operations are ongoing at the site of the wreckage, Al Jazeera reported.
Dahdouh's son, Yehia, was wounded and underwent an emergency procedure for a head wound, according to Al Jazeera, which cited Al Jazeera Arabic.
“It’s heartbreaking to be reporting about Wael’s family and to see how broken he is. He calms everyone. He speaks to us like a big brother, not just a bureau chief," said Youmna ElSayed, a correspondent for Al Jazeera. “He didn’t leave Gaza City. He stayed despite all the threats and warnings and didn’t stop for 19 days in a row. He said, ‘I must be here in Gaza City to report about these people who are getting bombed every day.'"
Al Jazeera Media Network issued a statement condemning "the indiscriminate targeting and killing of innocent civilians in Gaza, which led to the loss of Wael Al-Dahdouh's family and countless others."
"We urge the international community to intervene and put an end to these attacks on civilians, thereby safeguarding innocent lives," the statement continued.
The media network said it is "deeply concerned" over the safety of its colleagues in Gaza and "hold[s] the Israeli authorities responsible for their security."
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CJP) reported that at least 24 journalists are among those killed in Israel's war with militant group Hamas, which carried out an Oct. 7 assault on Israel that killed more than 1,400 people in Israel, including civilians who died in their homes, at a bus stop and a music festival.
Israel responded to Hamas's attacks with a bombardment of Gaza involving hundreds of airstrikes and the looming threat of a potential ground invasion. Israel's blockade of food, water, fuel and medicine has also created a crisis that a humanitarian aid effort has tried to ease.
The CJP said is it investigating "numerous unconfirmed reports" of other journalists being killed, detained, injured or threatened, as well as those reported missing.
The conflict so far has claimed over 7,100 lives from both sides, including more than 5,700 Palestinians in Gaza, according to a Tuesday update from the Gaza Ministry of Health.