Meet The Fallen Heroes

By Ananya Sriram and Lalitha H.

As the Israel-Palestine conflict continues, yet another journalist, Mohammed Abu Hatab was killed along with his family in an Israeli air raid. The Israel-Palestinian conflict has taken a toll on many, including civilians and the government alike. Close to 9000 Palestinians and 1400 Israelis have been killed since October 7. Close to 30000 others were injured from both sides. Amidst the war, journalists have also been injured and killed. Thirty-nine journalists have been reported dead as of November 8, 2023, and more injured. Some have also been reported missing.

Mohammed Abu Hatab, a journalist and correspondent for the local channel Palestinian TV, was killed along with 11 members of his family in an Israeli airstrike on their home in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip. When looking at how he died, it can be arguably said that his death was more fatal than how many soldiers died. He has lost not only his life but also the lives of his family.

Palestinian journalist Wael Al-Dahdou, the bureau chief of Al Jazeera in Gaza City lost his wife, son, daughter and grandson to an Israeli airstrike on the evening of October 25. Following Israel’s warning orders on 13th October, the family moved to a house in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, as it was too dangerous to live in their home back in Tel el-Hawa in Gaza City. Unable to grieve in privacy in the hospital, Wael decided to share his pain and the loss of his family to viewers as a daily reminder of the suffering endured by the people of Gaza.

Credits: Free Press Journal

Al Jazeera’s chief correspondent Wael Al-Dahdou lost four of his family members to an airstrike.

While narrating everyone’s story may take a long time, the lost lives of people in service to us must be acknowledged.

Many had lost their family along with their own lives. the heartbreaking rise in numbers of innocents who only wanted to accompany the journalists only shows people how badly a war can affect lives.

Female journalists with children were targeted specifically. Journalists like Duaa Sharaf and Salma Mkhaimer lost their children in an airstrike.

It makes one wonder if was losing their parent, their child, or their spouse along with their own life in any form justice when all they did was serve the people by delivering crucial information.

Old or young, innocent or guilty, no one can escape the brutality of violence.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is also investigating numerous unconfirmed reports of other journalists being killed, missing, detained, hurt, or threatened, and of damage to media offices and journalists’ homes.

“CPJ emphasizes that journalists are civilians doing important work during times of crisis and must not be targeted by warring parties,” said Sherif Mansour, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. “Journalists across the region are making great sacrifices to cover this heart-breaking conflict. Those in Gaza, in particular, have paid, and continue to pay, an unprecedented toll and face exponential threats. Many have lost colleagues, families, and media facilities and have fled seeking safety when there is no safe haven or exit.”