LONDON: Wael Dahdouh, media organization Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief, has been honored by the National Press Club with its 2024 John Aubuchon International Press Freedom Award for his reporting on the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The journalists’ organization, which is based in Washington D.C., said Dahdouh will receive its highest honor in recognition of his “determination to keep his bureau open and video feed available to the general audience and other journalists.”
Dahdouh gained worldwide recognition for his reporting on the ongoing conflict in Gaza, even after suffering devastating personal losses.
In deeply moving scenes that caught the world’s attention, he learned during a live broadcast on Oct. 28, 2023, that an airstrike on the Nuseirat refugee camp had killed his wife, 15-year-old son, 7-year-old daughter, and eight other relatives. He lost his other son, Hamza, also a reporter for Al Jazeera, in another Israeli air raid on Jan. 7 this year.
Dahdouh himself was injured by Israeli drone fire on Dec. 15, 2023, while covering an attack on a school in Khan Younis. He required surgery for his injuries and traveled to Qatar for treatment.
Announcing the award in Berlin on Tuesday, Emily Wilkins, president of the National Press Club, said: “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.”
His award will be officially presented during the National Press Club’s annual Fourth Estate Gala on Nov. 21 at its offices in Washington.
At least 137 journalists and other media workers, mostly Palestinians, are known to have been killed since the start of the conflict in October last year. Media advocacy organizations say the true death toll might be even higher.
“The National Press Club has and will continue to advocate for all journalists, including Israeli journalists, Lebanese journalists and Palestinian journalists,” Wilkins said.
“The club continues to fight for Aubuchon honorees 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 Dahdouh.”
