The National Press Club has selected Al Jazeera’s Gaza Bureau Chief Wael Al-Dahdouh for its most-prestigious accolade – the Aubuchon Award, which is the club’s highest honour for press freedom.
Dahdouh experienced unspeakable personal tragedies while reporting in Gaza.
On Oct. 28, 2023, while reporting live about an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) airstrike on the Nuseirat refugee camp, he learned that among the victims were members of his own family.
He lost his wife, his 15-year old son and his 7-year old daughter in that tragic incident.
He raced from his live shot position to be with them. Also killed in the same incident were eight other relatives. He returned to reporting the next day, despite the unimaginable pain and sadness.
His remaining son Hamza, was killed by an IDF drone strike on January 7, 2024. Hamza was also a reporter for Al Jazeera.
Dahdouh himself was fired upon Dec. 15 by a drone controlled by the IDF while walking to cover the bombing of a school in Khan Yunis. Dahdouh took shrapnel from the drone strike and was able to walk out to a hospital.
His cameraman Samer Abu Daqqa was badly injured and could not walk. Dahdouh suffered extensive nerve damage from his injuries. Abu Daqqa bled out before ambulances could reach him.
As Al Jazeera bureau chief, Dahdouh fought to keep his bureau open and his video feed available to the general audience and other journalists.
Eventually the Al Jazeera feed was blocked in Israel. The Al Jazeera bureau in Israel was closed and, more recently, the Al Jazeera bureau in Ramallah was stormed by IDF forces and shut down.
“Despite his physical and emotional wounds, Dahdouh remains resilient as he works to recover. His endurance, strength and perseverance are an inspiration for reporters around the world,” said National Press Club President Emily Wilkins, who flew to Berlin to present him with his award in person as a sign of the Press Club’s commitment to Dahdouh’s case.
“The National Press Club has, and will continue to advocate for all journalists, including Israeli journalists, Lebanese journalists and Palestinian journalists.
“We will always defend the right to report and those who do this important work,” Wilkins said.
“The sadness of Dahdouh’s story is compounded by the fact that, according to the latest research by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a staggering 137 journalists and media workers have been killed since the horrific attacks by Hamas on Israel October 7. In those attacks, two Israeli journalists were killed by Hamas. Their loss, the first of the current conflict, was deeply felt. Several Lebanese journalists have also been killed.
“This is a growing problem as the conflict has moved into Lebanon. The vast majority of journalists killed – more than 130 – were Palestinian. Conditions in Gaza make it difficult for CPJ to investigate these matters fully, so their data remains dynamic.
“Yet, according to CPJ, at least five of the deaths of Palestinian journalists were targeted killings by the IDF. Journalists are non-combatants.
“Dozens more journalists, like Dahdouh, have been badly injured or detained. The scale of the story in Gaza is huge and the tragedy is wide.
“The Club continues to fight for Aubuchon honourees long after the gala ends. We will work until they are freed from prison or find justice in a court – no matter if it takes months, years or decades. We stand by our honorees and we will stand by Wael Al-Dahdouh,” Wilkins said.
The award will be given at the Club’s annual Fourth Estate Gala on Nov. 21.
Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world’s leading professional organisation for journalists. The Club has 3,000 members representing nearly every major journalism organisation and is a leading voice for press freedom in the United States and around the world.
