Former hostage held by Gaza 'journalist' speaks out on claims that Israel kills journalists

Shlomi Ziv, who was held in Hamas captivity from Oct. 7, 2023, to June 8, 2024, has spoken publicly for the first time since his release, criticizing Knesset Member Ayman Odeh’s condemnation of the targeted killing of Hamas terrorist Anas al-Sharif, who also worked for Al Jazeera.

Ayman Odeh, Arab-Israeli lawyer and leader of the Hadash-Ta'al party in the Knesset, posted the following message on Monday:

“There must be no journalists in Gaza. There must be no doctors in Gaza. There must be no footballers in Gaza. There must be no children in Gaza. There must be no women in Gaza. There must be no people in Gaza."

"And when there is a person there, he is destined to die. The army killed Anas al-Sharif, the Al Jazeera journalist, along with his team, last night. Because for the Israeli government, it is permissible.”

Al Jazeera described the killing of Anas al-Sharif and five others as a calculated and callous murder, but the IDF maintained from the outset that he was not what he appeared to be.

Abundant evidence has been presented that Al-Sharif was the commander of a Hamas terror cell who was posing as a journalist, and he is far from the only one.

The news that Israel was deliberately killing civilians quickly spread throughout the world, and multiple major news outlets reported this interpretation of Al-Sharif’s death as fact. By the time the truth could be established, it was too late.

The world’s fury against Israel was white hot, convinced that Israel intentionally killed innocent journalists. 

Ziv, originally from Moshav Elkosh in Nahariya, knew from bitter experience about Hamas tactics and the way terrorists routinely hide behind alternative identities. 

The 40-year-old was kidnapped from the Nova Festival on Oct. 7, 2023, where he was providing security with two friends, both of whom were killed in the massacre. Having been held hostage in Gaza for 246 days in the home of a reporter, he fired back at Odeh’s social media post.

“I was held by a journalist in captivity and his father was a Doctor!!!!!!!!” Ziv continued, “Everyone is a Hamas operative, there are no journalists there who aren't Hamas because they would kill him for telling the truth.”

“I will act with all my strength to throw you out of the Knesset, my word, I promise you, you terror supporter,” he wrote.

This is not the first time Odeh has faced accusations of supporting terrorism. On Jan. 19, he welcomed the release of Palestinian prisoners as part of the hostage deal, posting: “Happy for the release of the hostages and prisoners. Now we must free both peoples from the yoke of occupation. We were all born free.” 

His words landed him in hot water, as other Members of Knesset objected to equating hostages with prisoners, leading to a July 15 motion to remove him from office. While 90 votes were required to impeach an MK, only 73 were cast against him, allowing him to retain his seat.

Because Hamas fighters often hold civilian jobs and wear no uniforms, Israel’s battle against them is marked by complex challenges and moral dilemmas.

Even though Al-Sharif was officially an Al Jazeera journalist, he was also responsible for advancing rocket attacks against Israel, and had been a member of Hamas since 2013, according to The Jerusalem Post. 

The IDF provided Hamas personnel rosters, lists of terror training courses, phone directories, and salary documents bearing his name to support their claim. 

Several medical professionals have also been exposed as complicit with – and even instrumental to – Hamas operations, such as the father of Ziv’s captor.

Ahmad Kahalot, the director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Jabalya, confessed, "I was recruited to Hamas in 2010 with the rank of Brigadier General. There are employees in the hospital who are military operatives of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades – doctors, nurses, paramedics, clerks, and staff members.״

Similarly, Ynet News reported on Tuesday that the IDF eliminated five armed Hamas terrorists who were posing as aid workers with the World Central Kitchen (WCK).