• There is growing concern for the safety of six Palestinian journalists accused by Israel of being Hamas or Islamic Jihad operatives without credible evidence.
• The Committee to Protect Journalists highlights the trend of targeting journalists in the region, with 128 killed since October 7.
On Wednesday, Israel’s military alleged that Anas al-Sharif, Talal Aruki, Alaa Salama, Hossam Shabat, Ismail Farid, and Ashraf Saraj were affiliated with either Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The military claimed to possess “documents” proving their involvement, including supposed details of training and salaries.
Al Jazeera has vehemently denied these allegations, dismissing them as “fabricated accusations” aimed at silencing the few journalists still covering the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. “These journalists have been steadfast in reporting from northern Gaza, where Al Jazeera remains the sole international media outlet documenting Israel’s siege and bombardment of civilians,” the network stated.
Al Jazeera further condemned Israel’s portrayal of its reporters as terrorists, expressing concern that such false claims serve as “a pretext for further violence” against them. They reflected on the fate of other media professionals targeted and killed by Israeli forces.
Since October 7th, at least 128 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
In response to Israel’s allegations, the CPJ noted that similar unfounded claims have been made without credible proof. After Israeli forces killed Al Jazeera journalist Ismail al-Ghoul in July, Israel produced questionable documents alleging his affiliation with Hamas, despite contradictory details, including a claim that he received a military ranking at age 10.
Al Jazeera reiterated that Ghoul had been detained by Israeli forces during a raid at al-Shifa hospital but was later released, disproving Israel’s false claim of his affiliation with any militant group.
The deliberate targeting of journalists has drawn international condemnation. UN Special Rapporteur on free speech, Irene Khan, denounced the killings of Ismail al-Ghoul and freelance journalist Rami al-Refee as deliberate acts, calling on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute the incidents as war crimes. According to international humanitarian law, journalists are considered civilians unless they directly participate in hostilities. Khan highlighted that Israel has yet to provide credible evidence to support its claims that the journalists killed were anything but civilians.
Al Jazeera also referenced the wider pattern of Israeli hostility toward its network, noting that Israel had ordered the shutdown of its operations in Israel and raided its offices in the West Bank city of Ramallah. The network urged the international community to intervene swiftly to protect its journalists and halt Israel’s continued crimes against media professionals, declaring, “Journalism is not a crime, and we will continue to bring the truth to light, no matter the obstacles or threats we face.”
