Al Jazeera journalist doubles as Hamas leader in Israel’s latest allegation.

The IDF’s Israeli Arabic spokesman, Lieutenant Avichay Adraee, accused an Al Jazeera journalist, Muhammad Washah, of being a senior Hamas military operative. Adraee claimed that the IDF recovered Washah’s laptop in the northern Gaza Strip, which allegedly contained pictures showing Washah handling weaponry and engaging in activities related to the development of aerial weapons for Hamas. The IDF’s intelligence analysis conducted on the seized laptop allegedly establishes a connection between Washah and his alleged Hamas activities. The IDF directly addressed Al Jazeera on social media, questioning their journalistic integrity and accusing them of actively participating in creating situations on the front lines as Hamas terrorists.

Washah, a Gaza native, has appeared as a reporter on multiple Al Jazeera TV broadcasts in recent months. The IDF claims that the Hamas Nuseirat battalion, where Washah was allegedly involved, was responsible for attacks on Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7. Both Al Jazeera and the Qatari government have not responded to the serious accusations leveled against Washah. This accusation is not the first instance of an Al Jazeera journalist being accused by the IDF of having ties to a Palestinian militant group.

The IDF has previously made similar allegations against other individuals associated with the media organization.