DOHA, Feb 16 — Qatar-based satellite broadcaster Al Jazeera said yesterday it rejected what it called an Israeli attempt to justify targeting its journalists covering the war in the Gaza Strip.

The broadcaster issued a statement after the Israeli army on Wednesday said an Al Jazeera journalist wounded in an air strike in Gaza was a Hamas militant who filmed himself at a kibbutz during the October 7 attack.

"The network condemns the accusations against its journalists and recalls Israel’s long record of lies and fabrication of evidence through which it seeks to hide its heinous crimes,” the Al Jazeera statement said.

The channel had itself reported on Tuesday that Arabic language reporter Ismail Abu Omar and his cameraman Ahmad Matar were both seriously injured north of Rafah and taken to hospital for treatment.

But Israel’s military described Omar as "a deputy company commander in Hamas’ Eastern Battalion of Khan Yunis”.

"Abu Omar even filmed himself in Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7 massacre and published it on social media platforms,” an Israeli statement said.

Yesterday, the Al Jazeera statement said: "Al Jazeera’s employment policies stipulate that employees are not to engage in any political affiliations that may affect their professionalism.”

It accused Israel of systematically targeting Al Jazeera employees working in Gaza.

Two other journalists with the broadcaster have been killed during Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, while bureau chief Wael al-Dahdouh was wounded.

His son and fellow journalist Hamza Wael al-Dahdouh was killed when Israeli forces targeted a car last month, along with another video journalist, Mustafa Thuria.

The network’s cameraman Samer Abu Daqqa was killed in a separate strike in December. — AFP