WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS A GRAPHIC IMAGE.
A prominent journalist in the Gaza Strip attended a funeral┬аfor multiple members of his immediate family on Thursday and returned to air, just a day┬аafter his loved ones were killed┬аin a reported Israeli airstrike in the besieged territory.
Wael Dahdouh lost his wife, as well as a son, a daughter and a grandson, in what┬аAl Jazeera reported was┬аan Israeli airstrike that hit Nuseirat┬аrefugee camp in Gaza.┬аAnother┬аson, Yehia, was seriously wounded.
An Israel Defence Forces┬аspokesperson told CNN that “regarding this specific case, the IDF targeted Hamas terrorist infrastructure in the area.”
Wael┬аDahdouh is Al Jazeera’s┬аbureau chief in Gaza, where┬аhe has long covered conflict.
But the death of his loved ones was┬аboth a tragic and personal story, which he was at the centre of.
Al Jazeera showed footage on Wednesday of Dahdouh entering Gaza’s al-Aqsa hospital and seeing the body of his dead son.┬а“They take vengeance on us through our children?” he sobbed.
While returning to air on Thursday, Dahdouh thanked those watching for their prayers in the wake of the deaths of his family members.
Dahdouh’s family were among the more than one┬аmillion residents of Gaza who have been displaced from their homes┬аamid the┬аongoing war between Hamas and Israel.
The current conflict erupted after Hamas launched a devastating surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7. In response, Israeli forces have bombarded targets across Gaza, in a bid to topple Hamas and its infrastructure.
More than 1,400 people have been killed in Israel тАФ most of whom died in the initial Hamas attacks тАФ according to the Israeli government. The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza says that as of Thursday, some 7,000 Palestinians have died in the conflict.
CBC News is unable to independently verify the casualty figures being reported.
