Al Jazeera journalist Wael Al-Dahdouh, who is a bureau chief in Gaza, is mourning the death of another family member who was killed in an apparent Israeli airstrike but he has already returned to work in a vow to continue covering the Israel-Hamas war.
On January 7, Hamzah Al-Dahdouh, the 27-year-old son of Wael, met a tragic fate while working as a freelance journalist in Gaza. Engaged in capturing footage with a drone while driving, his vehicle fell victim to an Israeli airstrike, as reported by officials.
Despite the profound grief of losing his son, Wael, undeterred, laid Hamzah to rest and resumed his work a mere day later. In a poignant statement to ABC News in Gaza, Wael expressed the profound personal loss, describing Hamzah as exclusively his own, representing his breath and soul. Nevertheless, he conveyed a resolute commitment to persist on the journalistic path, emphasizing that the sorrow and pain wouldn’t hinder them from continuing their duty.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, under Hamas control, reports that since October 7, at least 23,357 people in the Gaza Strip have lost their lives, with over 59,410 others sustaining injuries as a result of actions by Israeli forces. Al Jazeera journalist
In Israel, at least 1,200 people have been killed and 6,900 others have been injured by Hamas and other Palestinian militants since Oct. 7, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
Al-Dahdouh has faced heartbreaking losses since the conflict began, burying not only Hamzah but also his wife, another son, a daughter, and a grandson. This tragic sequence of events unfolded following Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, resulting in the death of over 1,000 Israelis and the abduction of hundreds of hostages. Despite enduring personal tragedy, Al-Dahdouh continues his journalistic work in Gaza, an area noted as one of the most perilous conflict zones for journalists worldwide. He himself was hospitalized after sustaining injuries in an Israeli strike in December.