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An Al Jazeera cameraman was killed and the community’s Arabic-language Gaza Strip bureau chief was wounded on Friday throughout an assault in southern Gaza, Al Jazeera mentioned, the newest in an extended string of journalist casualties within the conflict.
The cameraman, Samer Abu Daqqa, and Wael al-Dahdouh, the bureau chief, had been masking the aftermath of airstrikes at a U.N. school-turned-shelter in Khan Younis when each had been wounded, the community mentioned. Mr. al-Dahdouh informed Al Jazeera that he was capable of stroll out of the realm and search assist. Mr. Abu Daqqa bled to loss of life from his accidents, as emergency medical assist was unable to succeed in him, the community mentioned.
Mr. Abu Daqqa, 45, was the thirteenth Al Jazeera journalist killed for the reason that community opened in 1996, in response to Al Jazeera.
His funeral was held in Khan Younis on Saturday. Al Jazeera televised a part of his funeral, the place Mr. al-Dahdouh spoke alongside dozens of different colleagues, members of the family. Fellow journalists, together with Mr. al-Dahdouh, wept in anguish, some caressing the cameraman’s his bloodied face. His press flak jacket and blue helmet rested atop his shrouded physique. Mr. al-Dahdouh accused Israeli forces of focusing on of dozens of journalists, their workplaces and their households. “We’ll proceed to do our responsibility with the most effective professionalism and transparency,” regardless of the focusing on of journalists, he mentioned. “We’ll carry our message.”
The Israeli army mentioned that it “has by no means, and can by no means, intentionally goal journalists,” and it takes “operationally possible measures” to guard civilians and journalists. Khan Younis is certainly one of three areas that Israel has mentioned it’s focusing on in its battle to eradicate Hamas from Gaza.
In October, Mr. al-Dahdouh’s spouse, son, daughter and toddler grandson had been killed on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, the place that they had been sheltering.
Mohamed Moawad, Al Jazeera’s managing editor, described Mr. Abu Daqqa as “a compassionate soul” whose images “captured the uncooked and unfiltered actuality and life in Gaza.”
“Within the pursuit of fact, our cameraman confronted immense dangers to convey viewers a deeper understanding of the human expertise in Gaza,” he mentioned in a submit on social media. “His lens turned a window into the lives of these affected by battle, shedding mild on tales that wanted to be informed.”
In keeping with the Committee to Shield Journalists, a nonprofit group based mostly in New York that defends the rights of journalists world wide, 64 journalists and media staff have been killed in Gaza for the reason that conflict between Israel and Hamas started on Oct. 7, greater than in another comparable time period for the reason that group began accumulating knowledge in 1992.
The C.P.J. defines journalists as “individuals who cowl information or touch upon public affairs by way of print, digital, broadcast media and different means,” and media staff as important help workers, together with translators, drivers and fixers. The group has mentioned it doesn’t embrace individuals in its tallies if there may be proof of their “performing on behalf of militant teams or serving in a army capability on the time of their deaths.”
In keeping with the C.P.J.’s knowledge, a few of the 64 killed in Gaza had been freelancers and didn’t work for conventional information shops, and its web site famous that it was unclear whether or not all of them had been masking the battle on the time of their deaths. Israel and Egypt have largely prevented worldwide journalists from coming into the enclave for the reason that battle started; Hamas, which controls Gaza, has lengthy restricted what the information media there can cowl.
Carlos Martínez de la Serna, C.P.J.’s program director, mentioned the group was involved about “the sample of assaults on Al Jazeera journalists and their households.”
In a press release, Al Jazeera blamed Israel for Friday’s assault in Khan Younis and for “systematically focusing on and killing Al Jazeera journalists and their households.” It urged “the worldwide group, media freedom organizations, and the Worldwide Felony Courtroom to take quick motion to carry the Israeli authorities and army accountable.”
John Kirby, a White Home spokesman, mentioned he was not conscious of any proof that Israel was deliberately focusing on journalists, who he mentioned should be protected.
“It’s by no means acceptable to intentionally goal them, as they do such very important, harmful, harmful work,” he mentioned, including, “That’s a precept that we’re going to proceed to abide by.”
Worldwide watchdogs have mentioned that an Israeli strike on Oct. 13 that killed a videographer for the Reuters information company and injured six different journalists was a focused assault carried out by the Israeli army. Earlier this yr, a C.P.J. report discovered that nobody had been held accountable for practically 20 journalists killed by the Israeli army since 2001.
Katie Rogers contributed reporting.
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