Fadi al-Wahidi, Al-Jazeera cameraman Fadi al-Wahidi, who was shot by an Israeli sniper in Gaza, remains in a coma and has not yet been allowed by Israel to leave the enclave for urgent medical treatment.
Al-Wahidi, a Palestinian journalist, was shot in the neck while reporting on the Israeli ground offensive in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, despite wearing protective gear clearly identifying him as a member of the press.
Despite pleas from three media freedom organisations, Israeli authorities have denied al-Wahidi and fellow Al Jazeera cameraman Ali al-Attar permission to leave Gaza for lifesaving medical treatment.
According to Al Jazeera Arabic, al-Wahidi’s condition has worsened since he was hospitalized on October 9. Doctors at Gaza City’s Public Aid Hospital have expressed their inability to treat his severe injuries, which include damage to arteries, veins, and shattered bones. They have repeatedly urged for his transfer abroad, as local resources are inadequate.
The attack on al-Wahidi occurred just days after al-Attar was shot while covering the situation of displaced Palestinians in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza. Al-Attar has shrapnel lodged in his skull and is suffering from brain bleeding, but Gaza lacks the medical resources necessary to treat his injuries.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.