An Israeli strike in Gaza killed one of Al Jazeera’s camera operators, Samer Abudaqa, on Friday and left him bleeding to death for hours.
Abudaqa was reporting in Khan Younis when the strike occurred, where he was hit alongside his colleague Wael Dahdouh. Dahdouh sustained minor injuries from shrapnel and is receiving treatment.
Al Jazeera is condemning the attack “in the strongest terms” and holding Israel responsible for targeting and killing Al Jazeera journalists and their families.
According to the network, Abudaqa “was left to bleed to death for over 5 hours, as Israeli forces prevented ambulances and rescue workers from reaching him, denying the much-needed emergency treatment.”
One of Abudaqa’s colleagues recounted through tears that it was difficult for him to be away from his family during the Israel-Hamas war. His wife and kids were in Belgium, and he was waiting for the war to end so that he could go to them.
The International Federation of Journalists also denounced the deadly strike, saying, “We condemn the attack and reiterate our demand that journalists’ lives must be safeguarded.”
Abudaqa is one of the 90 media workers killed on the job this year and one of at least 68 who have died covering the Israel-Hamas war since the Oct. 7 attack on the country, according to the IFJ’s count.
Khan Younis has become the epicenter of the conflict in recent weeks, and approximately 20% of structures in the area had likely been damaged or destroyed by Monday.
The Israel Defense Forces say the damage is because the “entire leadership of the Hamas terrorist organization — both military and political — proliferated in the area.”
Palestinian officials say that Israeli forces have killed nearly 19,000 people in Gaza.
