Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief, Wael Al-Dahdouh’s eldest son Hamza, was killed in an Israeli strike in southern Gaza two days ago.

Hamza al-Dahdouh, an Al Jazeera network journalist and cameraman, was targeted on Sunday while he was travelling along the road between Khan Younis and Rafah in a car with other journalists.

Freelance journalist Mustafa Thuraya was also killed, and a third journalist, Hazem Rajab, is severely injured.

In an Israeli strike in Nuseirat refugee camp in October, four other members of bureau chief Wael al-Dahdouh’s family, his wife Amna, his grandchild Adam, his 15-year-old son Mahmoud and seven-year-old daughter Sham have also been killed.

Al Jazeera correspondent Hisham Zaqout asserted that Hamza al-Dahdouh and a group of journalists were travelling to the Moraj area north-east of Rafah – which was designated a “humanitarian zone” by the Israeli army, which had reportedly experienced recent bombings.

Al Jazeera stated that Hamza was thinking of reporting on the unfolding situation and the aftereffects of the bombings in the region because many homeless people from Gaza had moved to the area to be saved from the bombardment in other regions of the territory.

Addressing the BBC, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said: “An IDF aircraft identified and struck a terrorist who operated an aircraft that posed a threat to IDF troops.”

“We are aware of the reports that during the strike, two other suspects who were in the same vehicle as the terrorist were also hit.”

The aftereffects of the strike on the car Hamza al-Dahdouh and other journalists had been travelling in were shown by Al Jazeera in live footage.

Hamza al-Dahdouh was entombed in the southern city of Rafah. In the footage, his father Wael al-Dahdouh is also shown in tears, holding his hand and standing next to his body in a morgue in Khan Younis.

At the funeral of Hamza, his father said, “Hamza was not just part of me. He was the whole of me. He was the soul of my soul. These are tears of sadness, of loss. These are tears of humanity.”

“I call on the world to look closely at what’s happening in Gaza.”

Wael al-Dahdouh was himself injured, and during filming, his cameraman, Samer Abu Daqqa, was killed in a separate strike last month.

Mr. al-Dahdouh, who has eight children, did not stop reporting on the war in Gaza.

Hamza al-Dahdouh had one million followers on Instagram. Before his death, he last time posted about his father. “You are steadfast and patient. Do not despair of God’s mercy. Be certain that he will reward you,” he said.

Hamza al-Dahdouh had 10 Lac followers on Instagram. Before his death, he last time posted about his father. “You are steadfast and patient. Do not despair of God’s mercy. Be certain that he will reward you,” he said.

The Al Jazeera Media Network had expressed in a statement that it “strongly condemns the Israeli occupation forces’ targeting of Palestinian journalists’ car”.

They added, “the assassination of Mustafa and Hamza… whilst they were on their way to carry out their duty in the Gaza Strip, reaffirms the need to take immediate necessary legal measures against the occupation forces to ensure that there is no impunity.”

In the statement, it also rumored that the strike “confirms without a doubt the Israeli forces’ determination continue these brutal attacks against journalists and their families, aiming to discourage them from performing their mission, violating the principles of freedom of the press and undermines the right to life”.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Hamza al-Dahdouh’s death “an unimaginable tragedy”.

He also said that “far too many innocent Palestinian men, women and children” have died in the war.

Mark Regev, who is a senior adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said to the BBC’s World This Weekend that “Israel does not deliberately target journalists”.

He said: “We’re the only country in the Middle East that actually does have a free press. We’re the only country in the entire region where the press can write bad things and criticise the leaders of government.”

“To say Israel deliberately targets the press is ridiculous, we’re the only country that actually enshrines the free press.”

Since the war began in Gaza, more than 75 journalists have been killed.

According to the health ministry in Hamas, over 22,000 people have been killed in Gaza to this date.