Gaza: Family of Al Jazeera's Arabic Bureau Chief Die in Israeli air Strike

Delhi: In a distressing development in Gaza, Palestine, news publication Al Jazeera reported that the wife, son, daughter, and grandson of its Arabic’s bureau chief in Gaza were killed in an Israeli air raid on October 25.

The journalist, Wael Al-Dahdouh, was still wearing his "Press" vest when he entered the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah on Wednesday to see his dead wife, son and daughter, Al Jazeera reported. Dahdouh’s grandson Adam was declared dead two hours later.

Dahdouh's son Mahmood was 15 years old and his daughter Sham was seven years old. They were in the Nuseirat refugee camp on which the attack took place.

In a statement released on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the Al Jazeera Media Network condemned the attack and extended condolences to Al-Dahdouh, rest of whose family is still buried under rubble as a result of the airstrike. 

Al Jazeera condemns the killing of its journalist Wael Al-Dahdouh's family in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/EYJShQt6J9

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) October 25, 2023

The journalist's family had moved to the camp in the south of Wadi Gaza after being displaced by initial air strikes in their neighbourhood.

Al Jazeera said it was deeply condemned about the safety of its colleagues in Gaza and held Israel responsible for their security.

"The Network strongly condemns the indiscriminate targeting and killing of innocent civilians in Gaza, which has 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 said.

Coming out of the hospital, a shocked Dahdouh told Al Jazeera: “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.

“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 said.

A few members of Dahdouh’s family, including a toddler granddaughter, survived the attack on the house they were residing in at the Nuseirat refugee.

Operations are ongoing in Gaza to rescue people from under the rubble in the wake of the airstrikes.

Al Jazeera’s Youmna Elsayed reporting from Gaza said: “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." She added, “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.’"