Samer Abudaqa
He was Killed in an Israeli airstrike.
Samer Abudaqa died from injuries sustained in an Israeli airstrike while filming at the Farhana school in Khan Younis, Gaza. The delay in emergency response—caused by the Israeli military blocking access for hours despite repeated requests from humanitarian organizations and journalists—contributed to his death.
Biography
Samer Abudaqa was a cameraman for Al Jazeera in Gaza, dedicated to documenting events amidst the ongoing conflict. On December 15, 2023, he was killed during an Israeli airstrike at the Farhana school in Khan Younis while covering the situation. Despite efforts by fellow journalists and humanitarian organizations to secure his rescue, Abudaqa succumbed to his injuries after emergency workers were blocked from reaching him in time. His death highlights the extreme risks faced by journalists reporting in conflict zones.
Samer Abudaqa was a veteran Al Jazeera cameraman based in Gaza, known for his commitment to reporting on the humanitarian and political crisis affecting Palestinians. On December 15, 2023, while filming at the Farhana school in Khan Younis, Abudaqa was caught in an Israeli airstrike that caused severe injuries to his lower body, leaving him unable to walk. Fellow Al Jazeera staff, including Gaza bureau chief Wael Dahdouh, attempted to help him, but emergency crews were blocked for hours by the Israeli military from reaching the site. Despite coordinated pressure from humanitarian organizations and international journalists, the rescue was delayed, and Abudaqa died before help could reach him. His death has been described by Al Jazeera as part of targeted attacks on Palestinian journalists and has prompted the network to prepare a legal file for the International Criminal Court.
Sources & References
Samer Abudaqa, Al Jazeera’s cameraman who was killed on December 15 in an Israeli air strike in Gaza, died despite an extensive network of humanitarian organisations and fellow journalists applying pressure on Israel to help rescue him, The Intercept has reported. Abudaqa was left to bleed to death at the Farhana school in Khan Younis, where the air strike hit, as emergency workers were blocked by the Israeli military from reaching the site despite multiple contacts writing to the military for approval, according to the report published on Friday.1 aljazeera.com Open source