'At Least' 9 Relatives Of CNN Journalist Killed In Israeli Airstrike: Report

Marco Margaritoff
Tue, 5 December 2023


Nine relatives of a CNN photojournalist were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza, the network reported Monday.

“Awful news about our colleague Ibrahim Dahman’s family: at least nine of his relatives have been killed,” CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour wrote Monday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “He’s been fearlessly reporting for CNN from Gaza since well before this war began.”

The conflict between Israel and militant group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, was reignited earlier this year after decades of tension. Israel says the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 killed 1,200 people, while Gaza health officials say Israel’s military response has killed over 15,000 Palestinians — thousands of whom are children.

Dahman, a Palestinian photojournalist and producer, continued his coverage from the ground for nearly a month after Oct. 7. The 36-year-old ultimately escaped to Egypt with his wife and children. He learned about his family’s losses from a group chat.

Dahman reportedly lost his uncle, the uncle’s wife, daughter and two grandchildren, in addition to his aunt, her husband and their two children. The airstrike on his aunt’s building in Beit Lahia also left two more relatives in critical condition.

“They were extremely peaceful and simple people, and their entire lives were devoted solely to work and raising their sons and daughters,” Dahman told CNN. “They have no affiliation with any organization or group… Pray to God to have mercy on them all.”

Dahman’s uncle had moved into the house just days prior — and only relocated his family from their home in Sheik Zayed to flee intensified bombings there. Dahman, meanwhile, had renovated his childhood home three months before it was destroyed.

“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,” he told CNN.

The aftermath of an Israeli airstrike in Beit Lahia, where Dahman's relatives died, 

on Nov. 21.

The aftermath of an Israeli airstrike in Beit Lahia, where Dahman's relatives died, on Nov. 21.

Human rights organizations and activists have been calling for a permanent cease-fire in the war, as 1.8 million Palestinians have been forced to evacuate, per the United Nations. Entire city blocks, including hospitals, have been turned into rubble since Oct. 7.

While a humanitarian pause in fighting allowed for hostages and prisoners to be released from both sides, Gaza civilians continue struggling to find essentials — including food, shelter and water. On Sunday, renewed airstrikes reportedly hit a local refugee camp.

Dahman chronicled life in the besieged territory for weeks before sharing his escape to Egypt in footage for CNN. While his wife and kids are settled in Cairo, the terror of the ongoing conflict remained unavoidable as his loved ones stayed behind.

“I’ve covered many wars through the years,” Dahman said at the time. “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?”