Al Jazeera refutes IDF's claim that 6 of its journalists are members of terror groups.
Al Jazeera official refutes Israeli military's claims about Gaza documents.
The IDF claims that six Al Jazeera journalists are affiliated with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, based on evidence found in Gaza.
The IDF released a dossier on Thursday detailing the names, ranks, and identification numbers of suspected terrorists, including Al Jazeera reporter Anas Jamal Mahmoud Al-Sharif, who the IDF claims is a member of Hamas' Northern Brigade and has held the positions of "true team commander" and "a soldier of the third rank."
The IDF's information claims that Al-Sharif was a "fighter and cell leader in a rocket company," and a "fighter" in Hamas' special forces Nukhba company.
Al Jazeera Media Network rejected the allegations on Wednesday, stating that they are baseless and a deliberate attempt to silence journalists in the region, thereby preventing the public from learning about the true nature of the war.
Walid Omary, the former Jerusalem bureau chief of the shuttered Al Jazeera office, unequivocally refuted the Israeli Defense Forces' accusations against Al Jazeera journalists to Planet Chronicle Digital.
"The Israeli forces have made unfounded accusations against Al Jazeera journalists. Despite Al Jazeera confirming that the journalists in question are employed by the network, we strongly reject these allegations and the portrayal of our journalists as terrorists. They are merely carrying out their professional duties by documenting and reporting on the horrific realities of the war and its impact on the 2 million civilians. These accusations come after Al Jazeera's exposé of potential war crimes committed by the Israeli forces during the war on Gaza."
Over the past two years, Al Jazeera journalists have been targeted and killed in both the West Bank and Gaza, including Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022 and Samer Abu Daqqa, Hamza Al Dahdouh, and Ismail Al Ghoul in the past year. Some of these journalists were accused based on unfounded allegations or fabricated evidence. Al Jazeera has brought these cases before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague seeking justice for its employees.
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The IDF dossier lists other reporters, including Ismail Farid Muhammad Abu Omar, who was accused of being a Hamas operative in the Khan Yunis Brigade since 2021. He held the positions of "Team Commander," "Platoon commander in the training unit," and "Exercise Commander," said the IDF. Abu Omar enlisted in Hamas in 2005, according to the IDF.
Aruki denied the IDF allegations that he joined Hamas, stating on Instagram that he was studying at university during the time of the accusations. He added that the Israeli army's accusations against him and a group of Al Jazeera journalists were part of an incitement campaign.
The IDF accused two other journalists of being affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad: Alaa Abdul Aziz, who they claimed was a "deputy commander of combat propaganda," and Ashraf Sami Ashour Saraj, an infantry soldier.
Both Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the US government.
The Committee to Protect Journalists has released a statement regarding accusations made by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) against several journalists in Gaza, stating that the IDF has accused them of being members of militant groups. However, Israel has a history of making similar unproven claims without providing credible evidence.
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