A Gaza journalist who wrote for Al Jazeera was holding three hostages in his home before he was killed by Israeli commandos during a rescue operation on Saturday, according to the Israeli military.
Abdallah Aljamal, who also served as a spokesman for the Hamas-run labour ministry, was killed when special forces stormed his home in central Gaza and rescued hostages Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andri Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 41, the Israeli military reported.
Rami Abdu, the head of the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, initially reported Aljamal’s death, claiming that Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers raided the journalist’s home and killed him along with several family members. While the IDF confirmed Aljamal was holding the hostages inside his home, they did not provide details about the fate of his relatives.
“This is further proof that the Hamas terrorist organization uses the civilian population as a human shield,” the IDF stated. Aljamal had previously written a column for Al Jazeera in 2019. The Qatar-based outlet clarified that Aljamal was never an employee.
Before his death, Aljamal contributed to the Palestine Chronicle news outlet, covering the deaths of Palestinians in Gaza during Israel’s offensive. His recent stories focused on the ongoing IDF operation in Nuseirat, where his home was located and where Israeli intelligence discovered he was holding three of the hostages rescued on Saturday near a refugee camp.
The Palestine Chronicle, a non-profit organization based in Washington State, aims to provide daily news to Gaza. The outlet states that its team comprises professional journalists and respected writers who do not advocate for any political party or agenda. On Sunday, the organization confirmed Aljamal was a contributor reporting from Gaza but did not mention he was holding three hostages.
The outlet did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Aljamal’s recent stories for the Palestine Chronicle focused on the IDF operation in Nuseirat, where his home was situated and where Israeli intelligence located three of the four hostages rescued on Saturday near a refugee camp.
In addition to the three men, Israeli forces also rescued Noa Argamani, the 26-year-old Israeli woman who became a symbol of the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel.
