War Crimes & Collective Punishment (the Tale of Wael)

This is the story of a news bureau
And the man that ran it
Yo this dude's a hero

His name Wael Al-Dahdouh
Better known in Gaza
As Abu Hamza

And yeah he got this important job
And he's been doing it
Since the Intifada

But his favorite thing in the world
Is being a father
And that right there
Brings its own drama

'Cause reporters that work in Gaza get
Their loved ones as the first ones targeted
So the tale of Wael is common, it's
War crimes and collective punishment

It's astonishing the audacity
You just try to hold on to your sanity
But it's inevitable the tragedy when
The story you're reporting is your own family

A journalist is the eyes of the people
And truth is a fascist's biggest fear
So they aim for the eyes with a force that's lethal
If they can't then the bastards will fill them with tears

October 25th he's delivering news
Live on the air
They put the phone to his ear

And it was the call
That he had always feared
Shed tears live on Al Jazeera

His grandson
Two kids and his wife
All lost in the blink of an eye

But like
How was they hit with a payload
When they were in a designated safe zone

'Cause reporters that work in Gaza get
Their loved ones as the first ones targeted
So the tale of Wael is common, it's
War crimes and collective punishment

It's astonishing the audacity
You just try to hold on to your sanity
But it's inevitable the tragedy when
The story you're reporting is your own family

December 15th at a hospital
Another war plane came
For Wael and his crew

Wael survived but his cameraman didn't so
It's getting hard to believe
This wasn't intentional

Three weeks later
They killed his son
IDF even claimed some justification

But end of the day
No investigation
And no American condemnation

'Cause see Arkansas is where the profits is
Making whites prosperous
From white phosphorus

A chemical that literally burns flesh off
And a violation
Of international law

And while western kids get the new iPads
The kids in Gaza get
Used eye patches

So sad to see
All of these shorties
Walk around like Slick Rick and Evil Morty

'Cause reporters that work in Gaza get
Their loved ones as the first ones targeted
So the tale of Wael is common, it's
War crimes and collective punishment

It's astonishing the audacity
You just try to hold on to your sanity
But it's inevitable the tragedy when
The story you're reporting is your own family