Israel has dismissed reports that its recent military operation in Gaza killed four journalists, insisting the deceased were members of Hamas.
Speaking in Abuja during an official visit to Nigeria, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel, Sharren Miriam Haskel-Harpaz, said Israel possesses evidence showing the individuals were Hamas affiliates with military training, not legitimate members of the press.
She cited funeral images allegedly displaying Hamas symbols and militants carrying the bodies, claiming these were indicators of their affiliation. Haskel-Harpaz argued that Hamas often disguises its operatives as journalists to wage a “propaganda war” through traditional and social media, recruiting supporters and influencing global opinion.
The Deputy Minister also dismissed reports of widespread starvation in Gaza as “fabricated narratives” designed to pressure the international community into sanctioning Israel. She maintained that the war would only end when all Israeli hostages are freed and Hamas is dismantled.
Haskel-Harpaz said Israel had accepted multiple U.S.-brokered ceasefire proposals in recent months, but Hamas rejected them. She further accused some European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, of incentivising Hamas to prolong the conflict through political pressure and threats of economic sanctions on Israel.
