Al Jazeera has strongly rejected a declare by the Israeli army that six of its journalists based mostly in Gaza are members of the Palestinian teams Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).
The media community on Wednesday vehemently condemned the “unfounded allegations” by the Israeli military, which in a submit on X described among the named Al Jazeera Arabic correspondents as “operatives” working for Hamas’s armed wing to advertise the group’s “propaganda” within the besieged and bombarded enclave.
The six named journalists are Anas al-Sharif, Talal Aruki, Alaa Salama, Hosam Shabat, Ismail Farid, and Ashraf Saraj.
The army printed “paperwork” that it claims show the “integration of Hamas terrorists inside” Al Jazeera. It claimed the papers present lists of people that have accomplished coaching programs and salaries.
“Al Jazeera categorically rejects the Israeli occupation forces’ portrayal of our journalists as terrorists and denounces their use of fabricated proof,” the community mentioned in a press release.
“The Community views these fabricated accusations as a blatant try to silence the few remaining journalists within the area, thereby obscuring the tough realities of the warfare from audiences worldwide,” the assertion learn.
It mentioned the “baseless” accusations got here following a latest report by its investigative unit that revealed potential warfare crimes dedicated by Israeli forces throughout the persevering with assault on Gaza, the place greater than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed – a lot of them ladies and youngsters.
Al Jazeera mentioned its correspondents have been reporting from northern Gaza and documenting the dire humanitarian scenario unfolding “as the only worldwide media” outlet there.
Israel has severely restricted entry to Gaza for worldwide media shops because it launched its assault on the Palestinian territory on October 7, 2023, in response to a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel.
Northern Gaza has been underneath siege for 19 days as Israeli forces proceed a renewed floor offensive within the space. Some 770 individuals have been killed in Jabalia for the reason that renewed assault started, in keeping with the Gaza Authorities Media Workplace, with Israel blocking the entry of assist and meals from reaching some 400,000 individuals trapped within the space.
‘Wider sample of hostility’
“The Community sees these accusations as a part of a wider sample of hostility in direction of Al Jazeera, stemming from its unwavering dedication to broadcasting the unvarnished reality concerning the scenario in Gaza and elsewhere.”
Final month, Israeli forces raided Al Jazeera’s workplace in Ramallah within the occupied West Financial institution and ordered its rapid closure following the choice by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cupboard in Could 2024 to close down Al Jazeera’s operations inside Israel.
Israeli forces have killed at the least three Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza since October final 12 months.
In July, Al Jazeera Arabic journalist Ismail al-Ghoul and his cameraman Rami al-Rifi had been killed in an Israeli air assault on the Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza Metropolis. The pair had been sporting media vests and there have been figuring out indicators on their automobile once they had been attacked.
In December, Al Jazeera Arabic journalist Samer Abudaqa was killed in an Israeli strike in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis. Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief, Wael Dahdouh, was additionally wounded in that assault.
Dadouh’s spouse, son, daughter and grandson had been killed in an Israeli air raid on the Nuseirat refugee camp in October final 12 months.
In January, Dahdouh’s son, Hamza, who was additionally an Al Jazeera journalist, was killed in an Israeli missile strike in Khan Younis.
Previous to the warfare on Gaza, veteran Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh was shot lifeless by Israeli forces as she lined an Israeli raid in Jenin within the West Financial institution in Could 2022.
Whereas Israel has acknowledged one among its troopers probably fatally shot Abu Akleh, it has not pursued any felony investigation over the killing.
In keeping with the Committee to Defend Journalists (CPJ), at the least 128 journalists and media employees have been killed in Israeli assaults in Gaza for the reason that warfare started.
The press freedom watchdog mentioned final 12 months that Israel’s warfare on Gaza is the deadliest in fashionable historical past for journalists.
In its report, CPS drew consideration to what it referred to as “an obvious sample of focusing on of journalists and their households by the Israeli army”.
Palestinian reporters in Gaza proceed to work underneath gruelling situations, dealing with fixed bombardment, displacement and attainable focusing on by Israeli forces.
In its assertion, Al Jazeera referred to as on the worldwide group to behave with the “utmost urgency” to guard the lives of the six journalists, including that it stands agency in its perception that “journalism isn’t against the law”.
