The Qatar-based network said that the Israeli “fabricated accusations” are “a blatant attempt to silence the few remaining journalists in the region”.

Al Jazeera Media Network has condemned the recent allegations made by Israeli occupation forces against its journalists operating in the Gaza Strip. 

On Wednesday, the Israeli army made a claim on X, publicly accusing six Al Jazeera journalists of being “Islamic Jihad terrorists” or affiliated with the Hamas movement. The army referred to alleged intelligence documents that they say reveal military ties between these journalists and Hamas.

“Al Jazeera categorically rejects the Israeli occupation forces’ portrayal of our journalists as terrorists and denounces their use of fabricated evidence,” the Qatar-based media network said.

It went on to say that its journalists are “merely fulfilling their professional duties, documenting and reporting on the devastating impact of the war on the Strip’s two million civilians”.

Al Jazeera pointed out that these “fabricated accusations” are “a blatant attempt to silence the few remaining journalists in the region”.

It also follows the network’s exposé of potential war crimes committed by Israeli forces, underscoring the dangers journalists face while documenting the ongoing genocide and humanitarian crisis resulting from Israel’s actions.

The Israeli accusation comes just one day after Al Jazeera publicly condemned Israel for denying medical evacuation requests for two of its injured camera operators, Fadi Al-Wahidi and Ali Al-Attar.

Al-Wahidi was shot in the neck by an Israeli sniper, leaving him paralysed, while al-Attar was struck by shrapnel in his head while he was in his media tent in the central city of Deir al-Balah. 

‘Unproven claims’

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) confirmed that at least 128 journalists and media workers have died in the Gaza Strip since the start of the Israeli war, marking it as the deadliest period for journalists since records began in 1992. Gaza’s government media office puts the death toll higher, at 177. 

Journalists in Gaza, already facing immense danger, now find themselves further imperiled as the Israeli army’s accusations cast them as legitimate targets in the conflict, in direct violation of international law, which designates journalists as civilians and protects them from deliberate harm.

Reacting to Israel’s allegations, the CPJ in a statement accused the army of having no credible proof, raising significant concerns about the motivations behind such claims.

“Israel has repeatedly made similar unproven claims without producing credible evidence,” CPJ said. “After killing Al Jazeera correspondent Ismail Al Ghoul in July, the IDF [Israeli army] previously produced a similar document, which contained contradictory information, showing that Al Ghoul, born in 1997, received a Hamas military ranking in 2007 – when he would have been 10 years old.”

Social media, particularly X, ignited with strong reactions following Israel’s accusations. Many users expressed outrage, viewing the claims as a dangerous escalation in Israel’s tactics against journalists. A tweet by political analyst Muhammad Shehada captured this sentiment:

“Israel is now openly declaring its intention to murder Gaza’s remaining top journalists to ensure informational blackout.”  

Additionally, some commentators pointed out the troubling implications of these accusations for journalists in general.

“This lie should NOT pass unchallenged!” Muhammad Shehada went on to say. “Namedropping without evidence is mere propaganda; anyone amplifying this is complicit in premeditated murder!

Dropsite News journalist Jeremy Scahill echoed this concern, describing the accusations as “an assassination threat and an attempt to preemptively justify their murder”.

This raises critical questions about the definition of a journalist and the potential for their safety to be compromised by political affiliations.

Other users reinforced the severity of the situation. Award-winning journalist Laila Al-Arian noted that the Israeli military has a long history of lying about journalists.

“What’s alarming is that it’s already killed more journalists than any other entity on record and this is a terrifying and dangerous escalation,” she wrote on X. “Every journalist must be protected and allowed to do their job.”

“These are the last remaining journalists in North Gaza covering Israel’s actions who have worked tirelessly to expose Israel’s crimes, and clearly the IDF is now manufacturing an excuse to be able to murder them,” research analyst Naks Bilal pointed out.

Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations Nicola Perugini highlighted the severity of the threat.

“The aim is to transform the last witnesses into killable targets,” he said.