Al Jazeera Journalist Killed in Israeli Strike on Gaza: IDF Claims He was a Terrorist

Al Jazeera journalist Hossam Shabat was killed in Gaza following an Israeli strike on Monday. Shabat was hit by an Israeli projectile while traveling in a vehicle together with another unidentified journalist when in the northern part of the enclave.

Hossam Shabat was a 23-year-old Palestinian journalist from Beit Hanoun, Gaza Strip. He served as a correspondent for Al Jazeera Mubasher, gaining recognition for his in-depth reporting on the Gaza conflict, particularly the conditions in northern Gaza amid Israel’s military operations

Al Jazeera has issued a statement condemning the attack, describing it as a targeted assassination of the journalist by the Israeli Occupational Forces and saying that it’s part of a systematic targeting campaign against its journalists. 

“The Network extends its condolences to Hossam’s family and calls on all human rights and media organizations to condemn the Israeli occupation’s systematic killing of journalists and the evasion of responsibilities under international humanitarian law and to bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice,” the statement read in part.

Meanwhile, the Israeli government has published claims that Shabat was a Hamas operative and has been on their target list since October last year. 

“Over 6 months ago, Hossam Shabat’s role within the Hamas terrorist organization was exposed by us here on X. He carried out all of his actions under the cover of an Al Jazeera journalist. Yesterday, he was eliminated by the IDF,” the Israeli forces said via a post on X.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), more than 100 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the escalation of hostilities in October 2023. The CPJ and other press freedom organizations have repeatedly called for the protection of journalists covering the conflict.

This is not the first time an Al Jazeera journalist has been killed in the region. In May 2022, veteran reporter Shireen Abu Akleh was shot and killed while covering an Israeli military operation in the West Bank. Investigations by multiple media outlets and human rights organizations concluded that she was likely shot by Israeli forces, though Israel has denied deliberate targeting.