After revealing the affiliation of six Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza with Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the IDF on Thursday presented additional documents pointing to close collaboration between the terror organization and the Qatari news channel.
The documents outline directives from Hamas to Al Jazeera, including barring criticism of Hamas, concealing failed rocket launches, and establishing a secure communication line between the two parties.
One of the documents, from 2022, describes how Hamas gave Al Jazeera clear instructions on covering a failed Islamic Jihad rocket launch in Jabaliya that killed several Palestinians. Among the directives was a prohibition on using the word “massacre” to describe the incident, along with advice to minimize the number of images shown and to prevent panelists from criticizing Hamas. “We recommend you contact the Islamic Jihad leadership to understand the organization’s guidelines and highlight its efforts in manufacturing and developing capabilities,” Hamas wrote to the Qatari network.
Another document from the same year reveals the instructions Hamas gave to journalist Tamer Almisshall regarding his coverage of the Islamic Jihad during Operation "Breaking Dawn" on his program "More Hidden than Revealed". The instructions were to support the "resistance" in Gaza and to prevent any criticism of the Islamic Jihad’s rocket capabilities, in light of the high number of failed launches.
Additionally, a 2023 document shows Hamas decided to establish a "Jazeera Phone"—a secure line for classified communication with the channel, particularly for emergencies. “The documents reveal how Hamas directs Al Jazeera's media coverage to serve its own interests, preventing the public in Gaza and around the world from discovering the truth about its crimes against Gazan civilians,” an IDF statement said.
Meanwhile, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani was asked about the IDF’s allegations concerning Al Jazeera journalists’ involvement in terrorism. He responded, “Al Jazeera must take action if there is any truth to Israel’s claims against its journalists.” At a press conference following his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, he added, “These allegations should be treated with skepticism.”
“We are very proud of the Al Jazeera institution and its war coverage,” the Qatari prime minister continued. “Al Jazeera operates according to the highest international standards of journalism. There is no justification for attacking journalists in conflict zones, and the excuses for doing so are unacceptable.” Blinken was also asked about the matter and said he could not verify the Israeli claims.
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