[지금, 이 사람]
Al Jazeera Broadcasting Gaza Bureau Chief
Last October, his wife, two children, and grandchildren were sacrificed… Recently, even the eldest son, a junior at the company, passed away.
Wearing a ‘press vest’ to the funeral… “Look at Gaza, there is no justice here.”
Wael Al Dahduh, Gaza Bureau Chief, Al Jazeera“We lost five family members, but we will continue to report on what is happening in Gaza.”
Wael al-Dahduh of Al Jazeera, the largest news channel in the Arab world, lost his wife, two children, and a grandson in an Israeli airstrike on a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip during the war against the Palestinian armed group Hamas at the end of October last year, but immediately returned to live broadcasting from the scene and attracted attention. The Gaza bureau chief (54) also lost his eldest son Hamza (28), who worked as a camera reporter for the same company, on the 7th. Five family members were lost in this war. Director Dahduh added to the sadness by appearing as usual at Hamza’s funeral held on the same day, wearing a blue bulletproof vest with the word ‘press’ written on it.
Al Jazeera announced on this day that Hamza was struck by an Israeli airstrike while traveling in a car from Khan Yunis, the largest city in the southern Gaza Strip, to a nearby refugee camp and died on the spot. In addition to Hamza, a fellow journalist who was riding in the same car also died and three others were injured. The car in question had both its roof and bonnet missing, giving an idea of the devastation caused during the air raid.
Director Dahdukh had eight children with his wife. Hamza, his eldest son and junior in journalism, was a strong pillar for his younger siblings. At Hamza’s funeral, his sisters collapsed over his body and wept. They screamed, “Now we have only Dad left.”
Bureau Chief Dahduh was also injured in an airstrike while reporting in December last year. On this day as well, he wore a brace on his right hand and squeezed his eldest son’s cold hand. “Look at what’s happening to civilians and journalists in Gaza,” he said after his eldest son’s funeral. “There is no justice here,” he said angrily.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) announced that at least 77 journalists have been killed as of the 4th of this month since the war between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas broke out in October last year. CPJ urged, “Conduct an independent investigation into Hamza’s case.”
The risk of escalation of the war in the Middle East is also increasing. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 7th that he would not back down, saying, “Iran is increasing its military capabilities around Israel.” Accordingly, U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken, who visited Qatar on the same day, expressed concern that the war between Israel and Hamas was “a conflict that could easily spread (to the entire Middle East).”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.