Jerusalem: The Israeli military asserted on Wednesday that the two Al Jazeera journalists killed in a Gaza airstrike, Hamza Wael Dahdouh and Mustafa Thuria, were identified as “terror operatives.” The army claimed that intelligence confirmed their affiliation with Gaza-based terrorist organizations actively involved in attacks against IDF forces.
According to the army’s statement, the journalists were operating drones before the strike, posing an imminent threat to IDF troops. Mustafa Thuria was identified as a member of Hamas’s Gaza City Brigade, while Hamza Wael Dahdouh was labeled a “terrorist” belonging to Islamic Jihad. The statement included a document that purportedly listed operatives from an electronic engineering unit of Islamic Jihad, including Dahdouh.
The journalists were killed in Rafah while on assignment for Al Jazeera, filming the aftermath of a strike on a house. The Israeli army maintained that the car they were traveling in was hit due to their alleged involvement in posing a threat to Israeli troops.
Al Jazeera condemned the Israeli occupation forces for targeting the journalists’ car, accusing Israel of violating press freedom principles. The families of the deceased journalists and Al Jazeera did not immediately respond to the army’s claims.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed sorrow over the deaths, calling it an “unimaginable tragedy.” The war in Gaza, which began with a Hamas attack on Israel in October, has led to a significant loss of life, with Israel vowing to eradicate Hamas, deemed a terrorist group by the US and EU. The conflict has also claimed the lives of numerous journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
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