The family of an Al Jazeera news reporter was tragically killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza, a statement from the network confirmed. Wael Al-Dahdouh, the Al Jazeera news reporter, lost his wife, teenage son, and young daughter in the attack, which took place in a refugee camp in central Gaza on Wednesday. Regrettably, his grandson also lost his life in the incident. Al Jazeera strongly condemned the killings and criticised what they termed an “indiscriminate attack” by Israel.

Al-Dahdouh’s family had been residing in a house at the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza after being displaced from northern Gaza following Israel’s warnings for residents to move south due to ongoing military action. The victims included fifteen-year-old Mahmoud, who was in his final year of high school, seven-year-old Sham, and 18-month-old Adam.

The Israeli military confirmed that they had conducted an attack targeting Hamas in the area where members of Al-Dahdouh’s family were killed. Heart-wrenching footage circulated online, showing Al-Dahdouh in tears at the hospital, holding what appeared to be the lifeless body of his seven-year-old daughter and grieving over his teenage son.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Al-Dahdouh expressed his anguish, stating, “There is no safe place in Gaza at all.” Al-Dahdouh, who serves as Al Jazeera Arabic’s bureau chief in Gaza and has been with the news agency for several years, has become a symbol of the human toll of the conflict.

Al Jazeera emphasised its deep concern for the safety and well-being of its colleagues in Gaza and held the Israeli authorities responsible for their security. The network also called on the international community to intervene and put an end to attacks on civilians, thereby safeguarding innocent lives.

It’s worth noting that, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 24 journalists have lost their lives in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza.