The Israeli military on Wednesday accused six Al Jazeera reporters based in Gaza of being fighters in Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the latest escalation in Israel’s ongoing feud with the Arabic-language broadcaster backed by Qatar.
The Israeli military distributed what it said were documents seized from Gaza that showed membership lists, phone directories and salary slips for members of the Qassam Brigades and the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wings of the two groups. The lists included names matching those of the Al Jazeera reporters.
Al Jazeera strongly denied the accusations, which it said were based on “fabricated evidence” and followed a long history of Israeli hostility toward the network. The authenticity and accuracy of the documents could not be immediately confirmed.
The accusations against the six journalists were only the latest chapter in Israel’s campaign against Al Jazeera. The organization’s Arabic-language service is widely seen in Israel as being close to Hamas, and critics have accused the network of amplifying the armed group’s perspective.
The channel’s correspondents are also some of the few remaining reporters on the ground in Gaza to document the devastating impact of Israel’s operations there. Israel has largely barred the international press from entering the enclave except on closely monitored tours accompanied by the Israeli military.
In its statement, Al Jazeera called the accusations “a blatant attempt to silence the few remaining journalists in the region, thereby obscuring the harsh realities of the war from audiences worldwide.”
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