‘He never hesitated’: Samer Abudaqa – father, friend, fearless photographer | Israel-Palestine conflict News

Gaza – When 15-year-old Zain Abudaqa spoke to his father by phone on December 15, he had no thought it was the final time he would ever hear his voice.

“He informed me to nurture my skills and by no means to surrender on my desires. He informed me to be son,” Zain mentioned. “I can’t imagine he’s gone and left us alone like this.”

Samer Abudaqa was 46 when he was killed in an Israeli air raid on Khan Younis in Gaza on December 15. A photojournalist and cameraman who was born and raised within the city of Abasan al-Kabira, east of Khan Younis, he joined Al Jazeera Arabic in 2002.

Abudaqa despatched his spouse and 4 youngsters to dwell in Belgium three years in the past and managed to go to them there solely twice – most just lately three months in the past when he introduced roses residence, his favorite solution to categorical his love for his household. He had hoped to convey them again to Gaza to dwell collectively once more as soon as it was protected sufficient to take action.

Zain, who’s Abudaqa’s center son, has a specific expertise for singing and was being inspired by his father to develop it – a part of the rationale his father was so looking forward to the household to maneuver to Belgium the place Zain would have extra alternative to take action.

“For 3 years, we now have been in Belgium, away from my father,” Zain mentioned. “We have been ready for him to come back again to us once more throughout the battle. We requested him to depart Gaza throughout the battle as a result of we have been so afraid for him.”

Zain was at college when he obtained the information that his father had been injured alongside his colleague, Wael Dahdouh, Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief, who misplaced a number of members of his household, together with his spouse, two of his youngsters and one grandson, to the Israeli bombardment in November.

“I requested [school] to permit me to return residence in order that I may very well be with my mom, sister and brothers. [For] six hours straight, we waited for information about my father regardless of the web and communication blackouts in Gaza. I had hope that he would dwell.”

That hope was in the end dashed when, later that evening, it was confirmed that Abudaqa had bled to demise from his accidents following Israel’s assault whereas he and Dahdouh have been reporting at Farhana college in Khan Younis. Medical groups have been in a position to attain Dahdouh and take him to hospital, however they have been blocked from Abudaqa’s location. Once they lastly reached him, hours later, it was already too late.

Regardless of the hazard, ‘he by no means hesitated’

Regardless that his household was safely abroad, Abudaqa insisted on staying in Gaza to cowl the battle.

Within the greater than 20 years he labored for Al Jazeera, he by no means stopped for a second, his associates and colleagues mentioned, with some describing him as working “like a bee”.

Dahdouh, who labored alongside Abudaqa since becoming a member of the Gaza workplace in 2004, remembered his colleague as a journalist who was at all times courageous sufficient to hunt out a very powerful tales.

“We inspired one another to provide distinctive tales with out pondering an excessive amount of concerning the results these tales may need on us,” he mentioned. “We actually cherished one another’s work. Samer was a type of photographers who had a way of photos and produced photos that talk.

“He would go into the sphere and paint the image he wanted there, then come again with a whole story.”

On the day he died, Abudaqa went with Dahdouh to movie a report on the Farhana college east of Khan Younis. Regardless of the realm being identified to be significantly harmful, Abudaqa didn’t hesitate, mentioned Dahdouh.

“Samer was a really spontaneous and beneficiant one that cherished his work very a lot. He at all times gave precedence to his work – typically over his household.

“He awakened early and ready the tools to exit with me to movie regardless of my hesitation about this process as a result of seriousness of the state of affairs there.”

Accompanied by a Palestinian Civil Defence unit, the pair spent two and a half hours filming on the website earlier than they started getting ready to depart. “The mission was over,” mentioned Dahdouh. “However once we left, we have been immediately focused with a reconnaissance missile. It killed three members of the Civil Defence, and I used to be injured.”

Dahdouh was knocked unconscious whereas Abudaqa was struck within the abdomen and stomach so severely he was unable to maneuver the decrease a part of his physique. “I attempted to be sturdy and was in a position to transfer with issue,” Dahouh recalled. “I couldn’t hear effectively. I attempted to take cowl from any extra missiles, which I anticipated would fall, and once I noticed my hand was bleeding lots, I attempted to crawl.

“I headed in direction of the ambulance, which was a couple of hundred metres away from us, and once I reached them with issue, I requested them to return to save lots of Samer. They informed me that it was tough due to the particles [blocking the path], and so they mentioned that they’d are inclined to me after which return to Samer.”

It took hours of coordination with totally different events for them to have the ability to do this, nevertheless. The Purple Crescent ambulance crew needed to request a Purple Cross car to assist in order that they’d not be focused by Israeli troopers.

Once they lastly reached Abudaqa, it grew to become clear that his press jacket had come off him within the blast. He had tried to crawl away however had been injured once more whereas doing so.

Dahdouh mentioned he was not shocked in any respect by the bravery Abudaqa displayed that day.

“I’ve many tales and moments that I lived with Samer. Many occasions, we might have died collectively elsewhere within the northern Gaza Strip. He thought of me his brother. Our relationship was particular – he was a beneficiant and giving individual.”

‘Who else will this battle take?’

“His catchphrase was ‘Prepared!’,” recalled Hisham Zaqout, Al Jazeera correspondent and colleague of Abudaqa, who joined the organisation in 2009.

“He by no means refused a request from anybody. When he obtained a visa to journey to Belgium to see his household, he slaughtered two sheep for us and introduced sweets as if it have been a marriage.”

Zaqout added, “Samer was one of the dedicated to his work. He insisted on enhancing his tales with out anybody speeding him. That’s why I used to depart him alone till the story was prepared.

When Dahdouh and Abudaqa have been struck, he mentioned, he was reporting from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah. He appealed on air throughout a dwell broadcast for an ambulance to be despatched for Abudaqa.

“I spent extra time with Samer than I spent with my household,” mentioned Heba Akila, one other correspondent for Al Jazeera. “Lengthy moments of labor, moments of success, and steady protection of all these occasions introduced us collectively. I can’t imagine that Samer is gone. I can’t imagine that we now not have him with us. We have no idea who else this battle will take.”

As it’s, in simply two and a half months, Israel’s battle on Gaza has killed at least 100 journalists. Dahdouh identified that 60 journalists died throughout the Vietnam Conflict, which lasted for almost 20 years.

“Journalists will proceed their work to report occasions on the bottom, and that is what we now have accomplished,” Dahdouh mentioned. “That is the strongest means we will reply to the battle. That is what Samer died for.”

The day earlier than he died, Abudaqa visited his mom, Maher, in Khan Younis. “He got here to verify on me,” she mentioned, holding again tears. “I used to be getting ready breakfast and I requested him to stick with us to eat. However he might by no means be away from his colleagues for lengthy – he cherished his household and associates and will by no means go away Gaza.

“He mentioned, ‘Mum, my associates are ready for me – I’ll eat with them’. I really feel now that, actually, he got here to say goodbye.”