Al Jazeera Correspondent’s Family Killed in Israeli Air Strike in Gaza
In a tragic incident, Al Jazeera correspondent Wael Al Dahdouh’s wife and two children were killed in an Israeli air strike on Wednesday in the Gaza Strip. The attack targeted a house in the southern Gaza Strip, where the reporter’s family had sought refuge after being displaced from their home due to ongoing Israeli air strikes.
Al Jazeera Media Network expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy to Wael Al-Dahdouh on the loss of his family. The indiscriminate attack led to the tragic loss of his wife, son, and daughter, while the rest of his family members were buried under the rubble.
Al-Dahdouh, who was covering the Israeli air strikes, received the devastating news of his family’s death. Heartbreaking footage showed him bidding farewell to his son lying on a hospital floor and carrying his daughter’s lifeless body in his arms at Deir al-Balah Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip.
The family had evacuated Gaza City following Israel’s warning to residents to move south as their forces intensified their strikes targeting Hamas. However, their temporary house in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza was also targeted.
Al Jazeera strongly condemned the indiscriminate targeting and killing of innocent civilians in Gaza, including Wael Al-Dahdouh’s family, and held the Israeli authorities responsible for their security. The media organization expressed deep concern for the safety and well-being of their colleagues in Gaza.
“Tuning down the volume”: Blinken
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken reportedly asked Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to “tone down Al Jazeera’s rhetoric regarding the war in Gaza.” This request was made during a meeting with leaders of the American Jewish community. Blinken specifically mentioned that he asked the Qatari government to change its public stance toward Hamas.
It is important to note that Blinken’s request seems to be regarding Al Jazeera Arabic, rather than Al Jazeera English. The US State Department has not confirmed the report, and the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet commented on it.