After the IDF released the names of six journalists from Al-Jazeera who were also operatives for Hamas and Islamic Jihad, Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF's Arabic spokesperson, revealed documents related to the issue.
Among the revelations, Lt. Col. Adraee disclosed documents indicating that Al-Jazeera was forbidden from criticizing Hamas, including hiding instances of failed rocket launches and establishing a secure communication line between Hamas and the Qatari channel.
Adraee added: "In a 2022 document, Hamas outlined how it provided Al-Jazeera with clear instructions for covering a failed rocket launch by Islamic Jihad in Jabalia, which resulted in the deaths of several civilians. The directives included not using the word 'massacre' to describe the event, minimizing the display of images from the scene, and preventing panel members from criticizing Hamas."
Another document from the same year reveals the guidance Hamas gave to journalist Tamer Almisshall while covering Islamic Jihad activities during Operation "Breaking Dawn" on his program "Much Remains Hidden". He was instructed to support the 'resistance' in Gaza and to avoid criticizing the rocket capabilities of the terror organization despite the high number of failed launches.
A 2023 document shows that Hamas decided to establish the "Al-Jazeera Phone"—a secure line that would allow the organization to communicate with the channel in a classified manner and during emergencies.
The documents demonstrate how Hamas manipulates the channel's media coverage to serve its own interests, preventing the public in Gaza and worldwide from discovering the truth about its crimes against the people of Gaza.
Qatar's Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, responded to the revelation that six journalists from the Qatari channel "Al-Jazeera" are operatives for Hamas and Islamic Jihad. He stated that Qatar is proud of the channel and its coverage of global conflicts: "Al-Jazeera operates according to the highest international standards. There is no justification for attacking journalists, and the excuses for it are unacceptable."
