Scottish PEN must yet again condemn the targeted killing of journalists by the Israeli army in its continuing attacks on Gaza. The two young men who died in these latest killings were Hamza Dahdouh and Mustafa Thuraya, whose vehicle was targeted by a missile strike on 7 January as they were trying to interview civilians displaced by previous bombings.
As of today’s date, over 23,000 people have been killed in the course of the Israeli army’s onslaught. The number of dead rises on a daily basis. This latest violation of humanitarian norms in conflict is particularly distressing in terms of the details of its personal tragedy. We hope that MSPs, MPs, the UK Government and its Opposition, and journalists across Scotland and the United Kingdom, will take note of the following facts, report on them, speak out, and condemn the continuing violations of international law and humanitarian norms in the conflict in Gaza.
Hamza Dahdouh, 27, was the eldest son of Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief, Wael Dahdouh. During the attacks on Gaza in October, Wael Dahdouh’s family had moved from place to place in their attempts to find safety. His wife, another of his sons, a daughter and one of his grandsons were finally killed while sheltering in a house in the South, where the Israeli army had ordered people to go to avoid airstrikes.
Wael Dahdouh was reporting live while the bombs that killed his family members could be heard. He went directly to the site of the explosion and began digging in the rubble with his bare hands. He managed to rescue one badly injured son and one of his daughters. Only weeks later, he himself was injured in a drone strike which killed his friend and colleague, Samer Abu Daqqer. It has been reported that Samer Abu Daqqer was left to bleed to death over a period exceeding five hours, as the Israeli army prevented ambulances and rescue workers from reaching him and providing emergency treatment.
Now, Wael Dahdouh has lost the eldest boy who was everything to him, the soul of his soul.
As writers and as humans, we are left in awe of Wael Dahdouh’s vow as a journalist to remain on his path of showing the world what is happening in Gaza in the face of such devastating losses. We are appalled by the actions and inaction of those in positions of influence who turn away from what the world can see.
Scottish PEN urges its members and readers and writers across Scotland to write to their MPs, respectfully calling on them them to pressurise the UK Government and its Opposition not to remain silent in the face on the continuing horrors in Gaza, and not to provide material support for the continuing attacks and killings.
As always, our members are committed to the principles of the Charter of PEN International:
We pledge ourselves to do our utmost to dispel race, class and national hatreds, and to champion the ideal of one humanity living in peace in one world.
Scottish PEN
9 January, 2024