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April 09, 2025 – Palestine/Israel –
In an April 2025 article, Palestinian journalist Tareq S. Hajjaj strongly refuted Israeli military claims that his colleague, journalist Hassan Eslayeh, was a Hamas operative. Eslayeh was severely injured in an Israeli airstrike, losing two fingers. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) alleged that Eslayeh had taken part in the October 7, 2023, attacks on southern Israel, but Hajjaj maintains these claims are false and unsubstantiated.
Eslayeh has worked extensively with both local and international media, providing frontline coverage of the Gaza conflict. According to Hajjaj, on October 7, Eslayeh was reporting from Rafah and not involved in any militant activity. His location was publicly known, and his work has been consistent with journalistic standards. The accusation, Hajjaj argues, is part of a broader strategy by the IDF to justify attacks on members of the press by labeling them as combatants without clear evidence.
This incident is not isolated. Other journalists, including Al Jazeera’s Hossam Shabat and Palestine Today’s Mohammed Mansour, were recently killed in Israeli airstrikes. In each case, the IDF claimed the journalists were affiliated with Hamas, assertions that have been widely questioned by press freedom groups. The Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders have condemned these killings, calling for transparent investigations and accountability.
Since the escalation of violence in October 2023, over 170 journalists have reportedly been killed, making it one of the deadliest periods for media workers in modern history. Critics argue that Israel’s pattern of labeling journalists as militants—often without releasing evidence—poses a significant threat to press freedom and endangers reporters in conflict zones.
Hajjaj’s testimony sheds light on the increasingly hostile environment for journalists in Gaza and the urgent need for international mechanisms to protect them. He insists that truthful reporting from the ground is essential to document events and challenge misinformation during wartime. As scrutiny over Israel’s treatment of journalists grows, press freedom advocates continue to call for safeguards that uphold the rights and safety of reporters worldwide.
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Israel targeted my colleague in an airstrike, claiming that he was a Hamas fighter. Israel is lying.
