Al Jazeera Media Network has rejected claim by the Israeli authority that it correspondent killed in Gaza on Wednesday was a Hamas militant.
The Israel Defense Forces had in a post shared on X, said it had “eliminated” Muhammad Samir Muhammad Washah, alleging he was “a Hamas terrorist operating under the guise of an Al Jazeera journalist.”
It went on to state that Washah was “a key terrorist in Hamas’ rocket & weapons production HQ, was also involved in the production and transfer of weapons through Gaza.”
The IDF said “The terrorist was actively involved in planning attacks against IDF troops & posed a concrete threat to forces in the area,” it added.
Reacting to the claim, Al Jazeera rejected the circumstances surrounding his killing, describing the incident as deliberate.
“Al Jazeera Media Network strongly condemns the heinous crime of targeting and killing Al Jazeera Mubasher correspondent, Mohammed Wishah,” the network said.
“This constitutes a new and flagrant violation of all international laws and norms, and reflects a continued systematic policy of targeting journalists and silencing the voice of truth,” it added.
The network further insisted that the killing was intentional, not accidental.
“As Al Jazeera mourns its correspondent Mohammed Wishah… it affirms that his killing was not a random act but a deliberate and targeted crime intended to intimidate journalists,” the statement read.
“The targeting of Wishah represents another episode in a series of deliberate attacks against journalists,” warning of “a dangerous escalation aimed at media professionals,” Al Jazeera said.
It maintained that Israeli forces should be held accountable.
“Al Jazeera holds Israeli occupation forces fully responsible for the killing,” the network said, adding that it would pursue “all necessary legal avenues to bring those responsible to justice.”
