Gaza: Al Jazeera journalist killed by Israeli strike in Khan Younis

An Israeli attack has killed an Al Jazeera journalist and wounded his colleague in the Gaza Strip on Friday.

Al Jazeera cameraman Samer Abu Daqqa and Gaza bureau chief Wael Al-Dahdouh were wounded in a school in Khan Younis, where they were hit by an Israeli missile attack.

"Following Samer's injury, he 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," the network said in a statement.

Al-Dahdouh was wounded in the arm and transferred to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.

In a news update, Al Jazeera said Al-Dahdouh was able to leave the area of the strike to look for help, "but by the time he reached an ambulance, medics said they could not return to the site of the attack because it was too dangerous".

'A compassionate soul'

Al Jazeera managing editor Mohamed Moawad paid tribute to Abu Daqqa on X, saying: "His unwavering commitment to truth and storytelling has left an indelible mark on our team.

"Samer, whose lens captured the raw and unfiltered reality of life in Gaza, was not just a skilled professional but a compassionate soul who understood the power of visual storytelling.

"In the pursuit of truth, our cameraman faced immense risks to bring viewers a deeper understanding of the human experience in Gaza," Moawad said.

The Foreign Press Association called on the Israeli army to investigate.

"We consider this a grave blow to the already limited freedom of the press in Gaza," it said in a statement.

A first Israeli strike had targeted a school belonging to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in Khan Younis, which the journalists had come to cover.

A second strike then took place which deliberately targeted the journalists, the network said.

It was an "attempt to intimidate journalists so that they do not document the (Israeli) massacres committed in the Gaza Strip".

Al Jazeera said it held "Israel accountable for systematically targeting and killing Al Jazeera journalists and their families".

US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told a press briefing that "we still don't have any indications" that Israel is "deliberately going after journalists trying to cover this war".

In late October, emotional footage showed Al Dahdouh learning on camera that his wife and two children were killed by an Israeli strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip.

At least 56 Palestinian journalists and media staff have died since the start of Israel's relentless onslaught on the Gaza Strip on October 7, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Three Lebanese were also killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon.

Israel's military campaign has killed over 19,000 Palestinians - mostly women and children.