Israel claims journalist Hossam Shabat was a Hamas sniper

The latest news on Israel and Palestine. The Israeli military stated on Tuesday that Hossam Shabat, a Palestinian journalist killed in a targeted airstrike on Monday in northern Gaza, was not merely a reporter but a sniper for Hamas.

The military claims that Shabat participated in a military training in 2019 with Hamas' Beit Hanoun Battalion when he was 18 years old, which they argue links him to the organisation. Israel's justification hinges on documents purportedly showing Shabat's affiliation with Hamas and accusing him of attacking Israeli forces and civilians during the conflict.

However, the Israeli military has yet to provide concrete evidence of these activities. Shabat, known for his reporting with Al Jazeera, was 23 years old at the time of his death. His assassination marks another loss in the ongoing violence in Gaza, which has already seen 208 Palestinian journalists killed by Israeli attacks. You can read about his death here.