Al Jazeera has reported that the wife, son, and daughter of one of its correspondents in Gaza were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Wednesday night.
The strike targeted the area where Wael Al-Dahdouh’s family sought refuge after being displaced in the initial bombardment in their neighbourhood, according to the network.
Several other family members were trapped under the debris, and live footage on Al Jazeera depicted the Arabic correspondent in tears at the hospital, witnessing the lifeless bodies of his family members.
The footage captured him crouching beside his 15-year-old son, Mahmoud, who aspired to be a journalist like his father.
In later scenes, he was seen holding his seven-year-old daughter, Sham, who was covered in a shroud, following the attack in the Nuseirat refugee camp.
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In a statement, Al Jazeera said: “Their home was targeted in the Nuseirat camp in the centre of Gaza, where they had sought refuge after being displaced by the initial bombardment in their neighbourhood, following Prime Minister Netanyahu’s call for all civilians to move south.”
The Israeli military did not offer an immediate response to the strike, which reportedly targeted the area where Mr Al-Dahdouh’s family sought refuge after receiving a warning about an impending Gaza ground incursion.
“The network strongly condemns the indiscriminate targeting and killing of innocent civilians in Gaza, which has led to the loss of Wael Al-Dahdouh’s family and countless others,” Al Jazeera added.
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It comes after Israel escalated airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday. Health officials said hundreds of Palestinians were killed in the past day and medical facilities were shut down because of bomb damage and lack of power.
The massive air bombardment continued through the night as Israeli jets hit sites across Gaza, the Hamas-run Interior Ministry claimed.