GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – Wael Dahdouh, a journalist for Al Jazeera, has endured unimaginable personal tragedy while continuing to report on the suffering of others. In October, he learned that his wife, seven-year-old daughter, 15-year-old son, and one-year-old grandson were killed in an attack. Despite this devastating loss, he continued his reporting.
Last month, Dahdouh was wounded and his cameraman, Samer Abu Daqqa, was killed in an Israeli bombing of a UN-run school used as a shelter. Then, in another tragic blow, an Israeli drone strike killed Dahdouh’s eldest son, 27-year-old Hamza, who also worked for Al Jazeera, along with another journalist.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports that Israel has killed more than 70 media workers in the latest Gaza war, making it the deadliest conflict for journalists in decades.
Dahdouh has called for the killings to stop, saying, “Nothing is harder than the pain of loss, and when you experience this pain time after time, it becomes harder and more severe.”
These tragic events highlight the dangers that journalists face while reporting in conflict zones. Journalists in Gaza are being targeted, according to the CPJ, and the scale and circumstances of the killings suggest evidence of a war crime.
The international community must take action to investigate and address these targeted killings. The loss of life, especially that of journalists, is a grave violation and requires urgent attention and accountability.