Israel claims it killed 5 terrorists posing as journalists

TEL AVIV: The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) claimed they killed Islamic Jihad terrorists posing as journalists. The IDF stated that they found a key source, which was a list of Islamic Jihad operatives discovered during operations in Gaza.

In a post on X, the IDF said on Thursday, “Overnight, with the direction of IDF and ISA intelligence, the IAF conducted a precise strike on an Islamic Jihad terrorist cell inside of a vehicle in the area of Nuseirat. A number of Islamic Jihad terrorists were eliminated in the strike.

“Intelligence from multiple sources confirmed that these individuals were Islamic Jihad operatives posing as journalists. One key source was a list of Islamic Jihad operatives discovered by the IDF during operations in Gaza. This list explicitly identified four of the eliminated individuals as members of the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization”.

????ELIMINATED: Several Islamic Jihad terrorists posing as journalists.

Overnight, with the direction of IDF and ISA intelligence, the IAF conducted a precise strike on an Islamic Jihad terrorist cell inside of a vehicle in the area of Nuseirat. A number of Islamic Jihad… pic.twitter.com/6Tlu3F7WnS

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) December 26, 2024

A day earlier, CNN reported, citing a hospital and their news outlet statement that five journalists were killed in an Israeli strike that hit their vehicle in Gaza. According to the hospital, the vehicle, belonging to Al-Quds Today Television, was parked outside Al-Awda Hospital when it was hit. The television channel, based in Gaza, is affiliated with the Palestine Islamic Jihad group.

Other journalists at the spot said Ayman Al-Jadi, Faisal Abu Al-Qumsan, Mohammed Al-Lada’a, Ibrahim Al-Sheikh Ali, and Fadi Hassouna were all sleeping in the vehicle when the strike hit, the report said.

Footage of the aftermath showed the vehicles in flames with the words “TV” and “PRESS” in large alphabets visible on the backdoors. Another video seen showed that it completely engulfed by flames, CNN reported.

Al-Quds Today Television condemned the attack and said that the five people were killed “while performing their journalistic and humanitarian duty.”

In a statement, the Israeli military said it conducted strike on what it called an “Islamic Jihad terrorist cell inside in the area of Nuseirat”. However, it did not provide any proof for its allegations.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a US-based non-profit group, has said at least 141 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza, Israel, the West Bank and Lebanon since October 7 last year, “making it the deadliest period for journalists since CPJ began gathering data in 1992.” (ANI)