Hamza Wael Al-Dahdouh was martyred in an Israeli bombing that targeted journalists west of Khan Yunis (social media)

Gaza – Palestinian journalists expressed widespread solidarity with Wael al-Dahdouh, Al-Jazeera's correspondent in the Gaza Strip after the death of his eldest son, Hamza, accompanied by journalist Mustafa Thuraya.

The journalists who spoke to Al Jazeera Net unanimously agreed that the martyr Hamza, was famous for his kindness and great giving, and professionalism, and his love for his journalistic work, as they stated that Israel will not be able to "break the resolve of colleague Wael, by continuing to target him, and his family."

Hamza was killed on Sunday in Israeli shelling targeting journalists west of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. Journalist Mustafa Thuraya was also killed by a missile from an Israeli drone that targeted the car they were traveling in in the southwestern Gaza Strip.

A number of family members of colleague Wael al-Dahdouh – including his wife, son, daughter and grandson – were previously killed in an Israeli shelling that targeted a house to which they were displaced in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.

"Hamza was the soul of the soul". Al Jazeera correspondent Wael Al-Dahdouh mourns his son Hamza after his martyrdom in Khan Younis pic.twitter.com/HmkV8e4lje

— Al Jazeera Egypt (@AJA_Egypt) January 7, 2024

Direct assassination

Journalist Amer Abu Amra, an eyewitness to the incident, said that a group of photographers, including Hamza al-Dahdouh, Mustafa Thuraya and Ahmad al-Barsh, were filming a news report about the targeting of a house belonging to the Abu al-Naga family north of Rafah, which resulted in the death of dozens of Palestinians.

He adds in an interview with journalists, including the correspondent of Al Jazeera Net, "After we finished filming, I and Hamza, Mustafa, and Ahmed al-Borsh gathered in a certain place, and then the first missile was launched from a drone and fell near us."

All four journalists were wounded by the missile, he said, adding, "Because there was an ambulance transporting the bodies of the martyrs, Ahmed and I boarded it, while Hamza and Mustafa got in another car and headed towards Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital."

On the way to the hospital, the Israeli plane fired another missile at the car carrying Dahdouh Jr. and Thuraya, killing them, Abu Amra said.

Ethics and professionalism

Mohammed Abu Daqqa, a cameraman at Al-Jazeera's Gaza bureau, said he worked with Hamza for long periods, during which he was an example of professionalism, high morals, and high motivation.

Abu Daqqa added to Al Jazeera Net, "Hamza is a compassionate person, giving, and loves the profession and adores it like his father, he had a great sense of the suffering of the people of Gaza and keen to expose the crimes of the occupation."

Abu Daqqa revealed that Hamza refused to travel from the Gaza Strip, a week before his death, and decided to stay in order to continue performing his media message on the one hand, and on the other hand to stay by his father, colleague Wael.

He ruled out that Israel will succeed in breaking the resolve of colleague Wael Dahdouh by continuing to target him and his family, adding, "Wael's determination is strong and difficult to break, because it is a mountain, and his endurance is great because he believes in the cause and believes in God."

For his part, Palestinian journalist Fathi Sabah, editor-in-chief of the "Masdar" news network, expressed his pride in his personal knowledge of the martyr Hamza, noting that he last met him, two days before his death.

He added morning to the island net after being overcome by crying "Hamza young creation, and hurt my heart departure, and the departure of his brother and sister and his mother (at the beginning of the war)."

"This cub of that lion is polite, polite and respectful, a model of a promising young man who has a sense of patriotism, hopes and ambitions that are part of the aspirations of the Palestinian people," he said.

The policy of assassinating journalists by Israel is "old and new", Sabah said, starting with the assassination of writer and journalist Ghassan Kanafani in 1972, and is "part of the war of the novel between the people and the occupation".

Promising journalist

Saleh al-Masri, editor-in-chief of Filastin al-Youm, praised the martyr Hamza and said he was "a promising journalist who performs multiple tasks with the Al Jazeera crew."

The Egyptian, speaking to Al Jazeera Net, that Hamza achieved great success as an activist in social networks, and was very happy when increasing his followers, who reached about a million on the application of Instagram.

"On the morning of his martyrdom, I had breakfast with him and drank tea, and then, as usual, he set out to film press stories before we mourned the news of his martyrdom," he said.

Masri also praised colleague Wael al-Dahdouh, who he said has become "a role model for many journalists in Palestine, around the world, due to his high professionalism."

Al-Masri asserts that Israel will not be able to break the resolve of his colleague Dahdouh by continuing to target his family, adding, "I think he has enough stubbornness to push him to continue his media career."

Big loss

For years, journalist Mutasim Murtaja has forged a strong friendship with the martyrs Hamza and Mustafa. Mutasim, who runs a media production company in Gaza, said Hamza was "my best friend for many years, and we worked together in a private company in journalism and film production."

He added to Al Jazeera Net, "I was with Hamza this morning before his martyrdom, and we drank coffee together, so that he drank from my cup, and I told him you are the best who makes coffee."

He stated that he was "affectionate and giving, loves to do good and help people, and has great ambition," adding, "Our loss in Hamza on the human level is very large, and irreplaceable."

As for his second friend, the martyr Mustafa Thuraya, Murtaja says he is 28 years old, an employee of the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs, and in addition to his government work he works in the field of journalism.

Mustafa is one of the best drones in the Gaza Strip and was known for his high efficiency in this field, he said.

"Mustafa was very generous, and almost all of the journalists in Rafah benefited from his assistance and in providing for the requirements of journalistic work," he said.

In turn, the journalist Saeed seven cameraman channel Kuwait in the Gaza Strip, condolences in colleague Dahdouh, and said to the island net "condolences Abu Hamza in Hamza, and tell him link God on your heart and mercy of God martyr and inspired you patience and solace." "Hamza was known for his morals and high professionalism," he said.

The Director General of the Government Media Office in the Gaza Strip, Ismail Al-Thawabta, also mourned the two colleagues, Hamza Al-Dahdouh and Mustafa Thuraya, describing their targeting as a heinous crime.

He said constants for Al Jazeera Net "God bless fellow journalists Dahdouh and Soraya, and inhabited spacious paradises, and sincere condolences to the Palestinian press family and fellow journalist Wael Dahdouh and the families of the martyr Soraya."

Source : Al Jazeera