Israel accuses Al Jazeera journalists of being Hamas terrorists
The Israeli army has accused six Al Jazeera journalists—all Palestinian men—of having affiliations with Palestinian militant groups. The journalists, who are covering the war in Gaza, include Anas al-Sharif, Hossam Shabat, Ismael Abu Omar, and Talal Arrouki. They have been accused by Israel of having ties to Hamas, while Ashraf Saraj and Alaa Salameh have been accused of having ties with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Israel's evidence and Al Jazeera's response to accusations
Israel said that it has found documents in Gaza and collected further intelligence to prove these allegations. According to documents cited by Israel, the individuals have served in a variety of roles, including being a sniper, infantry soldier, fighter, captain, training coordinator, and "propaganda." Al Jazeera has rejected these allegations as "fabricated" and a sign of a "wider pattern of hostility" against the network.
'Blatant attempt to silence the few remaining journalists'
"Al Jazeera condemns Israeli accusations...and warns against (this) being a justification for targeting them," the network said. "The Network views these fabricated accusations as a blatant attempt to silence the few remaining journalists in the region, thereby obscuring the harsh realities of the war from audiences worldwide." Israel has long accused Al Jazeera of being a Hamas mouthpiece, and over the last year, its officials have ordered it to cease operations for security concerns, stormed its offices, and seized equipment.
Criticism of Israel's accusations and past incidents
The Committee to Protect Journalists has also slammed Israel for making "similar unproven claims without producing credible evidence." In July, following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City that killed two Al Jazeera journalists, including Ismail Al Ghoul, Israel "produced a similar document, which contained contradictory information, the committee said. The documents showed that Ghoul, born in 1997, received a Hamas military ranking in 2007—when he would have been 10 years old.
