Al Jazeera has “strongly” rejected “baseless” Israeli allegations that the community’s correspondent Ismail al-Ghoul, who was killed in an Israeli assault in Gaza, was a Hamas operative.
The Doha-based community mentioned on Thursday that the accusation, which Israel introduced with out proof, is an try and justify the “deliberate killing” of al-Ghoul and his companion cameraman, Rami al-Rifi.
The two journalists had been killed in a direct Israeli air raid on their car within the Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza on Wednesday.
Al Jazeera Media Community mentioned the accusation in opposition to al-Ghoul “highlights Israel’s lengthy historical past of fabrications and false proof used to cowl up its heinous crimes”, underscoring that the nation has barred worldwide journalists from getting into Gaza.
“Moreover, the Israeli occupation forces had beforehand kidnapped Ismail on March 18, 2024, throughout their raid on al-Shifa Hospital, detaining him for a time period earlier than his launch, which debunks and refutes their false declare of his affiliation with any organisation,” the community added.
The slain correspondent mentioned at the moment that Israeli forces detained him with different journalists and compelled them to lie on their stomachs as they had been blindfolded and had their palms tied for a number of hours.
“Ismail joined Al Jazeera in November 2023, dedicating all his effort and time to masking the conflict on Gaza, documenting the Israeli forces’ atrocities in Gaza Metropolis and reporting the untold struggling of Palestinians in Gaza,” Al Jazeera Media Community mentioned on Thursday.
“Al Jazeera Media Community requires an impartial worldwide investigation into the brutal and heinous crimes dedicated by the Israeli occupation forces in opposition to its journalists and workers for the reason that starting of the conflict on Gaza.”
In its assertion, the Israeli military appeared to substantiate that it intentionally focused al-Ghoul, boasting that the journalist has been “eradicated”.
“As a part of his function within the army wing, al-Ghoul instructed different operatives on find out how to file operations and was actively concerned in recording and publicizing assaults in opposition to [Israeli] troops,” the Israeli army mentioned.
“His actions within the area had been a significant a part of Hamas’s army exercise.”
For the reason that outbreak of the conflict on Gaza, Israel has alleged – principally with out proof – that its assaults on Palestinians are a part of the marketing campaign in opposition to Hamas.
The Israeli army has bombed schools, hospitals and displaced individuals’s camps, claiming that it was concentrating on Hamas fighters. Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza has killed not less than 39,480 Palestinians and lowered giant elements of the besieged territory to rubble.
When Israel killed Hamza Dahdouh, the eldest son of Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief and a journalist himself, in January, it additionally accused him of being a part of Hamas – an allegation rejected by the community and press freedom teams.
Hamza Dahdouh was killed alongside fellow journalist Mustafa Thuraya.
Israel had supplied contradicting justifications for that assault. Initially, it claimed that it struck Dahdouh and Thuraya for utilizing a digicam drone, assuming that they posed a risk to Israeli forces. Dahdouh and Thuraya wore vests clearly figuring out them as press.
Once more in February, Israel claimed with out proof that Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent Ismail Abu Omar was a Hamas operative after concentrating on him with an assault that severely injured him.
At the moment Al Jazeera rejected and condemned the allegation, recalling Israel’s lengthy historical past of attacking the community and its journalists.
Israeli forces had killed the Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh within the West Financial institution in 2022 and the community’s cameraman Samer Abudaqa in Gaza in December 2023.
Israel, which banned Al Jazeera within the nation earlier this 12 months, had additionally bombed a tower housing the community’s places of work in Gaza in 2021.
Israel has killed 165 journalists in Gaza for the reason that starting of the conflict, in keeping with the Gaza Authorities Media Workplace.
The Committee to Shield Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters With out Borders have condemned the killing of al-Ghoul and al-Rifi.
“Journalists are civilians and may by no means be focused. Israel should clarify why two extra Al Jazeera journalists have been killed in what seems to be a direct strike,” CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg mentioned in a press release on Wednesday.