Hamza al‑Dahdhouh: Journalist who refused to leave and stayed at the heart of the battle

Hamza al‑Dahdouh.. Press Satellites Produced by: Tariq Washah

At a time when bearing witness has become the price paid by those who raise their voice for the truth, Hamza was an unbowed witness and an unwavering voice. He was not merely a journalist documenting events; he was a devoted son, his father’s companion, and a man who believed in his mission until his last breath.

Journalist Hamza Wael al‑Dahdouh was born on July 7, 1996, in Gaza. He grew up there and absorbed his love for the city from his father, veteran journalist Wael al‑Dahdouh.

He completed his basic education in Gaza and followed in his father’s footsteps by enrolling at the University College of Applied Sciences, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Media.

Hamza did not seek the limelight. He began at the grassroots level as a camera assistant and production aide in Al Jazeera’s field newsrooms during coverage of the wars on Gaza. He later joined the company “Ain Media,” founded by the late Yasser Murtaja and Rushdi al‑Sarraj, where he trained and worked alongside its teams, sharpening his talent and resolve.

The son and companion in the heart of the storm:

When the genocidal assault on Gaza erupted, Hamza was present alongside his father in the field, covering the daily violence across the Strip. He served as a member of Al Jazeera’s Gaza team and was the eldest son of colleague Wael al‑Dahdouh.

His father, Wael al‑Dahdouh, spoke with words that held all the land’s pain and the believers’ hope: “We go on despite sorrow and loss; we remain true to our pledge on this path we chose willingly and watered with blood.”

He asked in a father’s pain: “And what of the eldest son?” He noted that his son Hamza meant everything to him, and that these were “tears of grief and parting, not tears of fear and panic,” calling them “the tears of humanity that set us apart from our enemies. We pray that God is pleased with us and writes us among the patient.”

Friend and colleague: drive and character

Photographer Mohammad Abu Deqqa remembers his colleague Hamza, saying: “I worked with Hamza for long periods; during that time he was an example to be followed in professionalism, high morals, and great determination.”

He added: “Hamza was a compassionate, giving person who loved the profession and cherished it as his father did. He had a deep sense of the suffering of Gaza’s residents and was keen to expose the occupation’s crimes.”

Abu Deqqa also revealed Hamza’s fateful decision to stay, saying that Hamza refused to leave the Gaza Strip a week before he was killed. He decided to remain to continue his media mission and to stay by his father’s side.

Hamza al‑Dahdouh’s last message to his father, a day before he was killed

“You are the patient one, my father. Do not lose hope of recovery and do not despair of God’s mercy, and be certain that God will reward you for your patience.”

With these moving words, Hamza sent his last message to his father via social media. He did not know it would be his final post — words filled with love, loyalty and faith, meant to give strength to a father in need of a son’s encouragement.

Loss after loss: mother, sister and brother

Hamza’s death was not the family’s first loss. On October 25, 2023, his mother, Amina al‑Dahdouh, his sister Sham, his brother Mahmoud, his sister’s son Adam and other relatives were killed after Israeli aircraft struck the home where they had taken shelter in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza.

Killed in pursuit of the truth

On January 7, 2024, Hamza al‑Dahdouh was killed alongside colleague Mustafa Thuraya in what the article describes as another war crime added to the record of the Israeli occupation.

Occupation aircraft struck a car carrying a group of journalists while they were working as part of the Al Jazeera team in an area where civilians had sought refuge.

Hamza is gone in body, but he left a legacy of loyalty: to his homeland, to the truth, and to his father. He chose to stay, and his name is now recorded among the martyrs of Press Satellites.