Bombing by Israeli war planes kill 24 journalists in Gaza

As Israel seeks revenge for the Hamas attacks of 7 October, continues to bomb Gaza, and as the death toll mounts, doubts are being voiced about whether journalists are being targeted. As many as 24 journalists have been killed in the conflict so far, reports the news channel Al Jazeera. The latest death toll in Gaza is over 7,000, among them 2,705 children and several doctors.

On Wednesday, the channel’s bureau chief in Gaza, Wael Al-Dahdouh, lost his wife, son, daughter and grandson in the bombings. Other members of his family are still missing, buried under the debris. “Do they want to take revenge on us (journalists) by going after our kids?” he was quoted as saying.

To put Gaza — a strip of land 41 km long and 6-10 km wide, housing 2.2 million Palestinians — in perspective, the stretch between GK-2 in New Delhi and Ghaziabad is 33 km, and between Navi Mumbai and Thane 24 km.

Israel wanted a million people to evacuate to the south of Gaza within 24 hours. Those who could, did move out or send their families to the south. But Israeli war planes bombed the south of Gaza as well.

The Doha-based news channel reported that the family home was targeted in the Nuseirat camp, where they had sought refuge after being displaced by the initial bombardment in their neighbourhood, following Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu’s call for all civilians to move south.

Al Jazeera Arabic presenter Tamer Almisshal claimed the killing of Dahdouh’s family members is part of an ongoing Israeli strategy to target Palestinian journalists, specifically of Dahdouh, Al Jazeera Arabic’s Gaza bureau chief, whom Almisshal referred to as the “voice of Gaza”.

“Wael Al-Dahdouh is a pillar in the world of journalism 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.”

Dahdouh’s family, who lived in Gaza City, fled Israel’s bombardment to stay with relatives in Nuseirat while he had stayed behind in Gaza City to continue covering the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip.