The recent death of Al Jazeera journalist Ismail Al-Ghoul in Gaza has ignited significant controversy. On Thursday, the Israeli military confirmed it had killed Al-Ghoul in an airstrike, alleging he was a Hamas operative who participated in the 7 October attack on Israel. They provided no evidence for these claims.
Al Jazeera dismissed these accusations as “baseless,” asserting they were an attempt to justify the deliberate killing of its journalists. The network condemned the lack of proof, documentation, or video supporting Israel’s claims, and announced it reserved the right to take legal action.
Al Jazeera reported that Al-Ghoul and cameraman Ramy El Rify were killed in an Israeli strike on Gaza City while on assignment near the house of Ismail Haniyeh, a Hamas chief killed earlier in the day in Iran. The Israeli military stated that Al-Ghoul was a member of Hamas’ elite Nukhba unit, involved in recording and publicizing attacks on Israeli troops, and played a vital role in Hamas’ military activities.
Al Jazeera countered that Al-Ghoul had worked for the network since November 2023 and was solely a journalist. They noted he had been arrested and detained by Israeli forces at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza in March before being released, arguing this refuted any claims of his Hamas affiliation.
The Qatari broadcaster highlighted that Al-Ghoul and El Rify were killed while wearing media vests and in a car marked with press signs. They had last contacted their news desk 15 minutes before the strike, reporting a nearby attack and were advised to leave. They were en route to Al-Ahli Arab Hospital when they were killed.
The Israeli government has banned Al-Jazeera from operating in Israel, citing national security threats, and has denied targeting journalists in its ongoing campaign in Gaza, which has resulted in over 39,445 deaths, mostly women and children. Al Jazeera has been critical of Israel’s actions, denying accusations of inciting violence.
Al Jazeera Media Network called the deaths a “targeted assassination” and pledged to pursue legal actions. The Hamas-run Gaza government media office reported that the deaths of Al-Ghoul and El Rify brought the number of Palestinian journalists killed by Israeli fire since 7 October to 165. This event follows a documented history of violence against journalists by Israeli forces, with several cases over the years, including the high-profile killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022.
Western journalists and media organizations have shown varied responses to such incidents, with some watchdog organizations like the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) highlighting the risks to press freedoms. However, there is a perceived lack of widespread outrage and solidarity in Western media compared to reactions to attacks on journalists in other conflicts. This disparity raises questions about the consistency and principles of Western journalism, especially regarding neutrality and detachment in reporting.
