Tue Mar 25 13:22:51 UTC 2025: ## Israel Kills Al Jazeera Journalist in Gaza, Claiming Hamas Affiliation
**GAZA CITY/JERUSALEM** – The Israeli military confirmed Tuesday the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Hussam Shabat in a strike on Monday, alleging he was a Hamas sniper. The Qatar-based news network and international press freedom organizations vehemently deny the claim.
The Israeli military and Shin Bet security agency jointly stated that Shabat, killed in a drone strike near Beit Lahia, was a member of Hamas’s Beit Hanun Battalion. They cited internal Hamas documents from October 2024 and 2019 as evidence of his involvement in military training.
However, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) strongly condemned the killing, calling it part of an ongoing “massacre” of journalists in Gaza. Jonathan Dagher, head of RSF’s Middle East desk, stated that even if Shabat had past affiliations with Hamas, as alleged, it did not justify his assassination. He criticized the Israeli evidence as insufficient to warrant such action. RSF noted that Israel has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 200 journalists in the last 15 months, including at least 43 killed while working.
Al Jazeera reported that Shabat, a contributor to their live Arabic channel, Al Jazeera Mubasher, was “martyred” in the Israeli strike. The network has repeatedly denied Israeli accusations of its staff acting as Hamas operatives, claiming Israel systematically targets its journalists in Gaza.
The escalating conflict in Gaza, which began with renewed Israeli air strikes on March 18th following a January ceasefire, has led to the deaths of 792 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. The current fighting has shattered the relative calm that followed the January truce. Israel’s intensified offensive includes ground operations in the densely populated Gaza Strip.
First Piper 