Türkiye's communications director condoles with Al Jazeera reporter who lost his family in Israeli airstrike

‘These kinds of attacks amount to employing terror tactics against journalists to silence them,’ says Fahrettin Altun

Türkiye's communications director extended his condolences Wednesday to Al Jazeera reporter Wael Al-Dahdouh, who lost his family in an Israeli airstrike. “We are shocked by yet another incident against news professionals where the house of an Al-Jazeera reporter, Wael Al-Dahdouh, was destroyed by an Israeli strike,” Fahrettin Altun said on Twitter. “We find it difficult to believe that this was random, as Israel has been trying to stop the truth coming out from Gaza,” said Altun. “These kinds of attacks amount to employing terror tactics against journalists to silence them,” he noted. Decrying Israel’s “intentional and systematic” attacks against civilians, Altun said that “besieging millions of civilians with no humanitarian aid allowed is inhumane and barbaric.” “It is no longer possible for Israel to shape international public opinion while the whole world is witnessing the massacres and horrors in Gaza,” he added. Altun called for an immediate cease-fire and negotiations to exchange prisoners. He underlined that international humanitarian aid must be allowed into Gaza. He also urged the international community to discourage Israel from its recent approach and to put pressure for a “final resolution of the conflict through the two-state solution.” The conflict in Gaza began when the Palestinian group Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood -- a multi-pronged surprise attack on Oct. 7 that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea and air. Hamas said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque and growing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians. The Israeli military then launched a relentless bombardment of Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip. More than 7,900 people have been killed in the conflict, including at least 6,546 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis. Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been running out of food, water, medicine and fuel, and aid convoys allowed into Gaza have carried only a fraction of what is needed.