LONDON: Jordan’s Queen Rania Al-Abdullah met with Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief, Wael Al-Dahdouh, and his family on Saturday in Doha.
The queen, who was in Qatar to attend the AFC 2023 Asian Cup final between Qatar and Jordan, shared a photo of the meeting on Instagram with the caption: “Few people sacrifice so much for the truth. Thank you Wael Al Dahdouh for your commitment to share Gaza’s story with the world despite having endured tremendous pain and the loss of loved ones.
“It’s that kind of courage and resilience that make a true hero. May God grant you patience and protect Gaza and its people,” she added.
Earlier in January, the Palestinian journalist arrived in Qatar for medical treatment after being evacuated from Gaza through Egypt.
Al-Dahdouh, who has covered Gaza for over 20 years, has been the face of Al Jazeera’s coverage of Israel’s war and deadly attacks launched on the besieged Palestinian territory since October.
He has also become a symbol of resilience as he continued reporting despite several members of his family having been killed in Israel's war.
During a live broadcast in October, Al-Dahdouh learned that four family members, including his wife Amna, grandchild Adam, 15-year-old son Mahmoud, and 7-year-old daughter Shams, were killed in an Israeli strike at the Nuseirat refugee camp.
His son, Hamza, 27, also a journalist, was killed in an Israeli attack in January alongside his colleague Mustafa Thuraya while returning from an assignment in Rafah.