Israeli Military Kills Al Jazeera Journalist Amid Claims of Hamas Ties
The Israeli military confirmed on Thursday it had killed Al Jazeera journalist Ismail Al-Ghoul in an airstrike in Gaza, claiming he was a Hamas operative. Al Jazeera dismissed these allegations as baseless. The Hamas-run Gaza government media office reported the deaths of two Al Jazeera crew members, bringing the number of Palestinian journalists killed since October 7 to one hundred sixty five.
The Israeli military confirmed on Thursday it had killed Al Jazeera journalist Ismail Al-Ghoul in an airstrike in Gaza.
The military alleged that Al-Ghoul was a Hamas operative involved in the October 7 attack on Israel and was a member of the elite Nukhba unit.
Al Jazeera dismissed these allegations, calling them baseless and an attempt to justify the killing of its journalist.
The network stated that Al-Ghoul was solely a journalist who had worked for them since November 2023.
Al-Ghoul and cameraman Ramy El Rify were killed in an Israeli strike on Gaza City while working on an assignment near the house of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh.
The Israeli military claimed that Al-Ghoul's activities were vital for Hamas' military operations, but Al Jazeera disputes these claims and reserves the right to take legal action.
The Israeli government has banned Al Jazeera from operating in Israel, accusing the broadcaster of being a national security threat.
The Hamas-run Gaza government media office reported that the deaths of the two Al Jazeera crew members brought the number of Palestinian journalists killed since October 7 to 165.