Israel says Al Jazeera journalist it killed in Gaza was Hamas 'sniper'

Israel connected Tuesday said it had killed an Al Jazeera worker successful the Gaza Strip, accusing the journalist, Hussam Shabat, of being a "sniper terrorist" for Hamas.

The Qatar-based web said Shabat was killed Monday successful an Israeli onslaught connected his conveyance successful bluish Gaza, successful an onslaught that media watchdog Reporters without Borders (RSF) condemned arsenic portion of a "massacre of journalists" successful the Palestinian territory.

A associated connection from the Israeli subject and Shin Bet interior information bureau said that forces had "eliminated... a sniper violent from the Beit Hanun Battalion of the Hamas violent organisation, who was besides employed arsenic a writer by Al Jazeera".

Gaza's civilian defence bureau said Shabat was killed erstwhile an Israeli drone onslaught targeted his car connected Monday afternoon, adjacent a petrol presumption successful the bluish municipality of Beit Lahia.

Referring to Shabat, the Israeli connection that said information forces had "in October 2024... exposed the terrorist's nonstop affiliation with the subject helping of the Hamas violent organisation".

Jonathan Dagher, caput of the RSF's Middle East desk, said successful a connection that the accusations from past twelvemonth "can successful nary mode warrant his murder, arsenic they are based connected documents that successful nary mode represent that the writer had immoderate affiliation" with Hamas's equipped wing.

According to the Israeli statement, "internal Hamas documents" had proved Shabat had taken portion successful subject grooming conducted by the militant group's Beit Hanun Battalion successful 2019.

An Al Jazeera alert connected Monday said: "Hussam Shabat, a writer collaborating with Al Jazeera Mubasher, was martyred successful an Israeli onslaught targeting his car successful the bluish Gaza Strip", referring to the network's unrecorded Arabic channel.

RSF connected Tuesday condemned what it called the "targeted Israeli strike" that killed Shabat, "one of Gaza's best-known journalists".

The media watchdog said it had antecedently "warned that the Al Jazeera newsman and his colleagues were astatine precocious hazard of assassination".

"This all-too-familiar signifier fuels the unprecedented massacre of journalists happening successful Gaza," said Dagher.

RSF said the Israeli service was "already liable for the deaths of astir 200 journalists successful 15 months, including astatine slightest 43 killed portion working".

Israel restarted aggravated aerial strikes crossed the densely populated Gaza Strip past week followed by crushed operations, shattering the comparative calm afforded by a January ceasefire statement with Hamas.

The wellness ministry successful Hamas-run Gaza said Tuesday that 792 radical had been killed since Israel resumed bombardments connected March 18, including 62 successful the past 24 hours.

Israel has repeatedly accused Al Jazeera reporters successful Gaza of being "terrorist operatives" affiliated with militant groups, and has suspended the network's broadcasts.

Al Jazeera denies the accusations and says Israel systematically targets its unit successful Gaza.

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