NPC Statement on Al Jazeera Journalist Samer Abudaqa Killed in Gaza
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 – Following is a statement from Eileen O’Reilly, president of the National Press Club, and Gil Klein, president of the National Press ClubJournalism Institute, on the death of Al Jazeera’s Samer Abudaqa yesterday in Gaza.
“We mourn the loss of Al Jazeera cameraman Samer Abudaqa, who was working in Khan Younis when he was reportedly killed by an IDF drone strike. Wael Dahdouh, the Al Jazeera bureau chief in Gaza, was also wounded and taken to a hospital in this incident. This is another tragic loss for Dahdouh, who had recently lost his entire family in this war.
“There have now been at least 64 journalists killed since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war. The loss of life for journalists in this conflict is unprecedented. The National Press Club and the National Press Club Journalism Institute call on the IDF to do everything in their power to avoid journalist casualties. The working press are not combatants. Al Jazeera journalists are not combatants.”
About the National Press Club
Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world’s leading professional organization for journalists. The Club has 3,000 members representing nearly every major journalism organization and is a leading voice for press freedom in the United States and around the world.
About the National Press Club Journalism Institute
The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire a more representative democracy. As the nonprofit affiliate of the National Press Club, the Institute powers journalism in the public interest.
Contact: Bill McCarren, 202-662-7534 for the National Press Club