Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar has alleged that Hamas disguises its operatives as journalists, medical staff, and aid workers to mislead the international community. His remarks came after an Israeli strike in Gaza killed Al Jazeera journalist Anas Al-Sharif along with six others.
Speaking to NDTV, Azar claimed that Al-Sharif was not only a reporter but also a commander in Hamas’s military wing in Jabalia. “We targeted Anas Al-Sharif because he was a military operative. We have intelligence proving his role, obtained from Hamas’s intelligence arm operating under a UN installation,” Azar said.
The envoy asserted that no journalist in Gaza could work independently without affiliation or allegiance to Hamas. He accused international agencies of portraying a misleading narrative about the group.
According to Al Jazeera, Al-Sharif, 28, was reporting outside Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital on heavy Israeli bombardments when he was killed. Other journalists, including correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh and cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Moamen Aliwa, and Mohammed Noufal, also died in the strike.
The Israeli military later confirmed targeting Al-Sharif, describing him as the head of a Hamas cell responsible for rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers. The Israel Defense Forces said documents from Gaza, including training rosters and salary records, linked him directly to Hamas operations.
Al Jazeera also shared what it described as Al-Sharif’s “last will and testament,” posted online by a friend after his death. In the message, he said, “If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice… Do not forget Gaza. And do not forget me in your prayers.” He urged Gazans to continue resisting and asked that his family be cared for.
The strike has further inflamed tensions over the targeting of journalists in conflict zones, with Israel maintaining that Al-Sharif was a combatant, while critics call his death an attack on press freedom.
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