IDF says Al Jazeera cameraman mourned by Mamdani was Hamas sniper

The Israeli military has alleged that an Al Jazeera cameraman killed in Gaza was a Hamas sniper, after New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani publicly referenced his death while criticising Israel.

Ahmed Wishah, a cameraman working for Al Jazeera, was killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza on Saturday.

According to reports by the BBC and New York Post, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) later claimed Wishah was “a terrorist in Hamas’ military wing who served as a sniper operative.”

The IDF alleged that Wishah had been involved in planning sniper attacks in recent months and said he worked alongside his brother, Muhammad Samir Muhammad Washah, whom it described as a senior operative involved in Hamas weapons production.

In a statement cited by the BBC, the IDF said: “In recent months, he advanced sniper attack plans and worked alongside his brother, Muhammad Samir Muhammad Washah, a key terrorist in Hamas’ rocket and weapons production headquarters, who also operated under the guise of an Al Jazeera journalist and was eliminated in April.”

The military also released photographs, videos and what it said was Wishah’s Hamas identification card. The images appeared to show him carrying firearms, including sniper rifles. The IDF has not publicly provided further details about the material.

Al Jazeera rejected the allegations, describing them as “baseless” and accusing Israel of attempting to discredit its journalists.

The broadcaster said: “These attempts deceive no one and cannot obscure the truth witnessed by the world.”

It also condemned the strike that killed Wishah and warned it would pursue legal action against those responsible.

The claims emerged after Mamdani referred to Wishah’s death while discussing the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Speaking on Monday, Mamdani said: “More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military since the so-called ceasefire.”

He added: “Even an Al Jazeera journalist, Ahmed Wishah, was killed this past Saturday by an Israeli strike.”

Israel has repeatedly accused a number of Al Jazeera journalists of links to Hamas and other terror organisations during the war. Al Jazeera has consistently denied the allegations.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, more than 260 journalists and media workers have been killed across Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, Yemen and Iran since the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023.

New York City Hall has not publicly commented on the IDF’s allegations.