Al Jazeera veteran journalist Wael Al Dahdouh received the news of the death of his wife, son, daughter and grandson in Gaza while live on air.
Dahdouh was reporting on an air strike on Gaza by Israel on Wednesday, October 25, when he received a phone call notifying him that his family were casualties.
According to the news agency, the blast struck a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, where the family was seeking safety after being displaced.
“Al Jazeera’ s brave veteran journalist Wael Dahdouh’s wife, son and daughter were killed in an Israeli airstrike which targeted a shelter house they had fled to.
“Wael received the news while on air covering the nonstop Israeli strikes on Gaza,” Al Jazeera Managing Editor Mohamed Moawad indicated.
At the same time, Al Jazeera issued a statement condemning the incident.
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Al Jazeera Covers the Attack on Wael Al Dahdouh’s Family
The news agency covered the attack showing the journalist entering the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital to see his dead wife, son and daughter in the morgue.
Further, it noted that Dahdouh’s grandson was declared dead two hours later.
Notably, the veteran journalist is the Al Jazeera Arabic’s bureau chief in Gaza and had made the decision to stay behind and report on the attack against his people.
In a video, Al Dahdouh is seen crying as he stands over his son’s body, which is wrapped in a white sheet.
Moreover, his son Mahmoud was 15 years old, while his daughter Sham was seven years old, according to reports by Al Jazeera.
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Dahdouh Speaks from the Morgue
The journalist spoke to the press on his way out of the hospital lamenting about the targeted attacks on defenseless children and civilians.
“What happened is clear. This is a series of targeted attacks on children, women and civilians.
“I was just reporting from Yarmouk about such an attack, and the Israeli raids have targeted many areas, including Nuseirat, he told Al Jazeera.
Additionally, he expressed his disappointment with the Israeli adding that they targeted even the safe areas that had been indicated by the army.
“We had our doubts that the Israeli occupation would not let these people go without punishing them. And sadly, that is what happened. This is the ‘safe’ area that the occupation army spoke of,” he added.
Al Jazeera tribute to Dahdouh
Nonetheless, Al Jazeera Arabic presenter Tamer Almisshal led the team in giving tribute to the journalist and condemning the attack.
Read part of the tribute below:
“Members of the Al Jazeera Media Network condemn the killing of their colleague Wael Dahdouh’s wife, son, daughter and grandson in the central Gaza Strip.
“Wael Al-Dahdouh is a pillar in the world of journalism and in Gaza. He’s covered the Israeli offensives and wars on Gaza for years, the targeting of journalists, and the killing of women and children.
“Wael has continued to report on Israeli atrocities despite the ongoing threats against him and his family, and he’s refused to leave Gaza in order to convey to the world what is happening there,” Almisshal said.
“His voice will go on – that we can guarantee. All our voices will go on, and we’ll continue to cover this assault to get the truth out every day.”
