Mazen Dana

Mazen Dana (; 1962 – 17 August 2003) was a Palestinian journalist who worked as a Reuters cameraman. He spent a decade covering the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in Hebron in the West Bank, for which he was awarded the 2001 International Press Freedom Award of the Committee to Protect Journalists. He was shot and killed by US soldiers in Baghdad, Iraq on 17 August 2003.

Work in Hebron Dana worked for Reuters for over ten years, mostly in his home town of Hebron in the West Bank. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Dana was wounded several times in the course of his journalism.

Shooting by US Army On 17 August 2003, Dana was shot and killed by a US Army soldier as he attempted to film a tank patrol outside Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad during the Iraq War. The soldier mistook his camera for a rocket launcher and fired, hitting Dana four times in the chest. Though the soldiers then realized their mistake and called for medical aid, Dana died on the scene. A US Army spokesman called the incident "a terrible tragedy" and added, "I can assure you no one feels worse than the soldier who fired the shots."

Family Mazen Dana was married to Suzan Dana, with whom he had four children.

Recognition In 2001, Dana was the recipient of a CPJ International Press Freedom Award. The citation praised him for "covering one of the most dangerous beats in the world, the West Bank city of Hebron, where journalists are routinely targets of violence." In accepting the award, Dana said, "Words and images are a public trust. For this reason I will continue with my work regardless of the hardships, even if it costs me my life."