Al Jazeera Gaza bureau chief Wael al-Dahdouh injured in Israeli drone strike on Khan Younis school

Al Jazeera Arabic journalist Wael al-Dahdouh is being treated at a southern Gaza hospital after being hit in an Israeli drone strike near a school in Khan Younis.

Al-Dahdouh and colleague Samer Abu Daqqa were both injured in the attack while reporting from the Al-Haifa school in southern Gaza, Al Jazeera Arabic reported.

Al-Dahdouh was hit in his hand and waist by shrapnel and is being treated by doctors at Al-Nasser Hospital.

A video shared by Al Jazeera shows medical staff consoling Al-Dahdouh, referring to him as 'Abu Hamza', as the veteran journalist winces in pain and says he is severely injured.

Abu Daqqa remains trapped at the Al-Haifa school with ambulances unable to reach him due to heavy Israeli gunfire and shelling.

"The ambulance finds it very difficult to get to him and to save him," Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud said.

Our brave colleague Wael Dahdouh was injured while covering the airstrike that targeted Haifa School where people sheltered in Khan Yunis. Our colleague cameraman Samer Abu Dakka is believed to be injured and trapped with others at the school. pic.twitter.com/16I7QgC05i

— Mohamed Moawad (@moawady) December 15, 2023

The Gaza correspondent was in the headlines in October after his wife, son, daughter, and grandson were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Nuseirat refugee camp. 

Dahdouh was reporting from another location in Gaza at the time of the attack and footage of the heartbreaking moment he discovers the news about his family was shared online. Other relatives of Al-Dahdouh remain missing.

Journalists have been frequent targets of Israeli attacks since the assault on Gaza began on 7 October, with at least 18.787 Palestinians killed including thousands of children.

Two Palestinian journalists were killed in Gaza this week, bringing the death toll of media workers in the enclave to 89, according to a local media office.

The Gaza government has accused Israel of "assassinating journalists" to prevent news of its brutal onslaught on the enclave from reaching the world.

The New Arab reporter Diaa al-Kahlout was detained by Israeli forces on 7 December and his fate and whereabouts remain unknown.