Witnessing Sorrow Amid Strife in Gaza: A Testimony by Wael Al-Dahdouh
Wael Al-Dahdouh, a veteran Al Jazeera Gaza bureau chief, stood before a London audience on September 2, 2025, more than a symbol of journalismβhe was a testament to the resilience of some voices in the face of unrelenting loss.
Born in 1970 in Gaza City's Al-Zaytoun, Al-Dahdouh grew up under occupation and turned to journalism in the 1990s, driven by a conviction that bearing witness was both duty and defiance. His career has been marked by tragedy and loss, yet he has remained steadfast in his commitment to speaking out.
On October 25, 2023, Israeli strikes in Nuseirat refugee camp claimed the lives of Al-Dahdouh's wife, son, daughter, and infant grandson. Despite this personal tragedy, Al-Dahdouh returned to work the next day, stating, "This is my duty. If I stop, their voices will stop too."
Al-Dahdouh's broadcasts now carry the weight of both testimony and mourning. He recounted the killing of his colleague, veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was fatally shot by an Israeli sniper while wearing a press vest in the Jenin refugee camp in May 2022. Shireen Abu Akleh's killing remains a stark reminder that not even internationally recognized reporters are spared.
The act of speaking out is itself defiance for Wael Al-Dahdouh. He has been a voice of calm amid Gaza's chaos, serving as Al Jazeera's Gaza bureau chief by the early 2000s. His composed recounting of these stories underscored that silence can be greater than tears.
The West Bank has seen a parallel campaign of repression against journalists, with reporters being shot, beaten, or detained while covering protests or raids. Nearly two hundred journalists have been killed in Gaza since the conflict began, making it the deadliest war for the press in modern history (confirmed by press freedom organizations by early September).
Weeks later, during a drone strike on a school in Khan Younis, Al-Dahdouh was injured; his longtime cameraman, Samer Abu Daqqa, was killed. A double-tap airstrike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis a week before Al-Dahdouh's London appearance killed at least five journalists, including a Reuters cameraman.
In August 2025, a strike on a press tent outside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza killed five journalists, including Anas Al-Sharif of Al Jazeera. These events serve as a grim reminder of the lethal risks Palestinian journalists face, even outside Gaza.
At the London panel on Israeli war crimes against journalists, Al-Dahdouh spoke with a quiet determination, his words carrying the weight of his experiences. The search results do not provide information about the organization that served as Al-Dahdouh's translator at the event.
Despite the hardships he has faced, Al-Dahdouh continues to stand as a beacon of resilience and defiance in the face of adversity. His story is a testament to the power of journalism and the importance of bearing witness.
