- The Israeli Army has ensured that the six journalists are members of HAMAS and Islamic Jihad, but has not offered evidence showing that they are involved. As a result, and in view of the police record, the Aljazeera and the six journalists have shown their fear.
The Catar media has denied the accusations of the Israeli Army, described them as invention and placed them in a constant campaign against the media and its journalists. It must be borne in mind that Al Jazeera is the only international media with journalists in Gaza, but it is no less so. Half reports minute by minute on what is happening in the Gaza Strip, and today it is a global benchmark for keeping abreast of Israeli attacks.
These are the six journalists. Anas al-Sharif, Talal Aruki, Alaa Salama, Hossam Shabat, Ismail Farid and Ashraf Saraj. For example, Israel accuses Sharifi of being the head of a launcher division; Salama of being the head of the elite battalion Nuseirat Al-Qassam; and Shabath of being a member of the Bureij Battalion of Palestinian Islamic Jihad ... Israel says it has documents to certify them, as well as courses and salaries.
According to data from the U.S.-based Committee on the Protection of Journalists (CPJ), Israel has already killed 128 journalists in the attacks and claims that “Israel has already made such accusations on other occasions, but without demonstrating credible evidence.”
CPJ recalled Ismail al-Ghoul, a journalist from Al Yazira killed by Israel on 31 July in Gaza City. He was also a Hamas fighter, and Israel showed documents similar to those presented now, where it was said that Ghoul received a military graduation from Hamas in 2007, when he was ten years old.
Al Yazira pointed out that Ghoul was arrested at Shifa hospital when Israeli soldiers entered the site and was released: “That proves that what they are saying now is false.” In the drone attack, in which Rami al-Refee was also killed, the author of the series was arrested.
UN freedom of expression spokeswoman Irene Khan "intentionally denounced the murder of journalists" and asked the International Criminal Court to judge killings as war crimes.
Journalists killed
The six journalists and their relatives are afraid of their lives, especially because of the background Israel has, but not because of their work. Last December, the Israeli army killed journalist Samer Abu Daqa in an attack in the city of Khan Younis and wounded Wael al Dahdouh, head of the Al Jazeera office in Gaza.
Two months earlier, Dahdouh's wife, daughter, son and grandson were killed in an attack in the Nuseirat refugee camp. Dahouh's son, also a journalist, was killed in another attack in January in Khan Junis.
In May, however, the Israeli Government closed its offices in Al Yazira in Israel and last month the Israeli Army violently took the seat of the Aljibe in the occupied territories.
Al Jazeera chain and its journalists have made their position clear: “Journalism is not a crime, and we will continue to bring to light the truth, above the obstacles and threats we can face.”