TEL AVIV. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have accused Al Jazeera of employing a Hamas terrorist who was killed during an IDF rescue mission in Gaza on Saturday. The alleged terrorist, Abdallah Aljamal, was reportedly involved in holding three hostages rescued in the raid.
The IDF stated on social media, “’Journalist’ Abdallah Aljamal was a Hamas terrorist holding Almog, Andrey, and Shlomi hostage in his family’s home in Nuseirat. No press vest can make him innocent of the crimes he has committed. @AlJazeera what’s this terrorist doing on your website?” Al Jazeera’s website listed Aljamal as an author and he had reportedly written at least one article for the network.
However, Walid Omary, the former Jerusalem bureau chief of Al Jazeera, denied Aljamal’s employment with the network. “This man is not from Al Jazeera, and he did not work for Al Jazeera at all, and he is not listed as working for Al Jazeera neither now nor in the past,” Omary told Fox News Digital via WhatsApp. He added that Al Jazeera plans to take legal action against those spreading claims about Aljamal’s connection to the outlet.
Imran Khan, a senior correspondent for Al Jazeera’s English channel, confirmed on Instagram that Aljamal was a freelancer at one point but never worked for Al Jazeera Arabic or English.
Aljamal had contributed to the Palestine Chronicle, which expressed sorrow over his death. The Chronicle noted, “Particularly tragic is that Aljamal’s last contribution covered a previous massacre which killed over 40 Palestinian civilians in an UNRWA school.”
The IDF’s accusations come amid long-standing controversies surrounding Al Jazeera’s alleged ties to terrorist organizations. A May report from the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) accused the network of promoting Islamist terrorism, citing cases of Al Jazeera journalists allegedly aiding Hamas.
Israel’s former prime minister, Naftali Bennett, supported the IDF’s claims, stating, “Abdallah Aljamal is an Al-Jazeera reporter and a Hamas terrorist who held three Israeli civilians hostage in his home. This has now been confirmed.”
Al Jazeera has faced criticism for its coverage and alleged biases, but the network has consistently denied any wrongdoing or connections to terrorist activities. The situation remains tense as both sides present conflicting narratives regarding Aljamal’s affiliations and actions.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
