At least nine relatives of a CNN producer were killed in an Israeli strike in northern Gaza, according to the news outlet.
CNN reported that Ibrahim Dahman, 36, was informed Sunday at least nine of his relatives who were trapped in northern Gaza were killed when a strike hit his aunt's home in Beit Lahia.
Dahman's uncle, his uncle's wife, their daughter and two grandchildren, along with his aunt, her husband and their two children were among those killed, according to CNN. At least two others remain in critical condition, while more relatives are buried under the rubble.
“They were extremely peaceful and simple people, and their entire lives were devoted solely to work and raising their sons and daughters,” Dahman said, per CNN. “They have no affiliation with any organization or group. … Pray to God to have mercy on them all.”
CNN reported Dahman's uncle relocated with his family to his sister's house two days prior to the strikes, after bombing ramped up around his home in Sheik Zayed in northern Gaza.
Dahman's childhood home was also destroyed in a separate strike that hit a nearby building in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City, according to CNN. No one was at the home when the war broke out in October, though Dahman said he left all of his belongings at the home.
“I will never be able to forget every stone and corner of the house in which I was born and raised and in which my children were born,” Dahman said.
Before escaping to Egypt last month, Dahman reported from besieged Gaza, where he covered Israel's ongoing war with Hamas sparked by the terrorist group's Oct. 7 attacks on Israel. Hamas's attacks killed more than 1,200 people, including hundreds of civilians, while an estimated 240 people were taken hostage. At least 100 hostages were released last month under a temporary cease-fire deal between Israel and Gaza.
Israel has bombarded Gaza in response through airstrikes, bombings and ground attacks, vowing to eliminate Hamas and its military capabilities. More than 15,800 people have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, according to the Hamas-ruled Health Ministry in Gaza.
In a piece published Nov. 10, Dahman recounted living through the beginning of the violence in Gaza and his family's relocation to a hotel in Gaza City in the days after Oct. 7. Dahman and his family later traveled south to Khan Younis, where they stayed for three weeks with a family member.
Dahman detailed how his family had to ration food, water and power.
He reported he was informed Nov. 3 that he, along with his pregnant wife and two children, would be allowed to cross into Egypt with the assistance of CNN and the U.S. embassy in Israel. Dahman said his children and wife had never left Gaza before, and he was the only one with a passport.
Once entering Egypt by the Rafah border crossing, Dahman said each of his family members were given a one-time travel document from the Palestinian embassy in Cairo. Once there, Dahman and his family met with CNN colleagues who helped the family get settled.
While he said the escape brought relief, Dahman was aware his parents and siblings remained trapped in the enclave.
"I’ve covered many wars through the years. Nothing compares to the current conflict. Entire quarters in Gaza have been eviscerated, thousands of women, children and elderly have perished. What have civilians done to deserve this?" Dahman wrote in his Nov. 10 piece.
There are increasing concerns over the safety of journalists and their families caught in the crossfire of the Israel-Hamas war.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CJP) reported Monday that at least 61 journalists and media workers are among the thousands killed in the conflict. The CJP said it is also investigating several unconfirmed reports of other journalists being killed, missing, detained, injured or threatened along with damage to media offices and journalists' homes.
“CPJ emphasizes that journalists are civilians doing important work during times of crisis and must not be targeted by warring parties,” said Sherif Mansour, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. “Journalists across the region are making great sacrifices to cover this heart-breaking conflict."
