Arabi Facts Hub tracked the initiators of incitement campaigns in English against Palestinian journalists in Gaza and identified accounts of Israeli influencers with tens of thousands of followers on X, spreading misleading propaganda at different intervals since the start of the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023.

On October 23, 2024, the Israeli army issued a statement alleging that six Al Jazeera journalists were affiliated with Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Israeli army spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, shared several tables claiming they were lists of Hamas and Islamic Jihad members, which included the names of the six journalists.

Al Jazeera condemned the allegations made by the Israeli military against its journalists, warning that these claims could be used as a pretext to target them.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also denounced the accusations, highlighting that Israel has previously "repeated similar claims without providing credible evidence."

Misleading Propaganda

Following the Israeli army's statement, accounts emerged supporting the claims of Al Jazeera journalists' affiliation with Hamas, and others promoting misleading information related to what the Israeli army published on social media platforms.

Arabi Facts Hub tracked the initiators of incitement campaigns in English against Palestinian journalists in Gaza and identified accounts of Israeli influencers with tens of thousands of followers on X, spreading misleading propaganda at different intervals since the start of the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023.

The disinformation we observed targeted three Al Jazeera journalists named in the statement: Anas Al Sharif, Hossam Shabat, and Ismail Omar.

We analyzed the content that these accounts posted about the three journalists and noticed similarities in their approach, which relied on monitoring the journalists' social media accounts.

We identified three methods these accounts used in their negative propaganda against Palestinian journalists to claim their affiliation with Hamas and Islamic Jihad:

1. Publishing misleading information.
2. Creating false links between pieces of information, photos, and videos.
3. Fragmenting information to give it a negative connotation.

We observed a connection between the dissemination and level of engagement with some of the journalists' reports from Gaza and the disinformation campaigns initiated by Israeli influencers.

We worked on verifying the published information, uncovering instances of disinformation. Additionally, we identified the accounts' owners and their links to the Israeli government and army.

Anas Al Sharif

A chart showing the number of times the journalist Anas Al-Sharif's name appeared in English on the X platform between October 31, 2023, and October 31, 2024. Source: Meltwater

Using the monitoring tool Meltwater Explore, we tracked posts containing the name Anas Al Sharif in English on X since the start of the Gaza war in 2023. We found that his name appeared over 292,000 times in the content of posts published by more than 130,000 users between October 31, 2023, and October 31, 2024.

A screenshot of a post published by Eitan Fischberger about Palestinian journalist Anas Al-Sharif on October 22, 2024. (Source: @EFischberger / Archive) 

On October 22, 2024, one day before the Israeli army’s statement, Eitan Fischberger’s account (@EFischberger) on X published a thread about journalist Anas Jamal Al Sharif. He described him as the most prolific reporter remaining in northern Gaza, stating: "Almost every piece of propaganda coming out of Jabalia originates from this beast. Don't believe a word he says."

Eitan Fischberger's account was created in October 2019 and has over 30,000 followers. He identifies himself as a communications expert, analyst, former Israeli army sergeant, and writer for several media outlets, including international platforms.

Two screenshots from an article published by Eitan Fischberger on the Jewish News Syndicate website in 2020, showing the article title and author name at the top, and a biography of the writer at the bottom. Source: (Jewish News Syndicate website/Archive)

We found by going through search engines that Fischberger previously served in the Israeli Air Force, as noted at the end of an article he authored in 2020 on the Jewish News Syndicate website. Additionally, in 2018, Fischberger worked as a speechwriter for Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, as well as for other senior diplomats.

The thread posted by Fischberger included 14 consecutive tweets, beginning with questioning the credibility of Sharif's journalistic coverage from northern Gaza. This post reached more than 29,000 users on X, garnering 4,123 engagements, including likes, shares, and comments, and was retweeted 788 times.

Fischberger first referenced a video shared by Anas on October 18, 2024, which showed a child lying on the ground, seemingly injured, calling for help, “in one of the streets of North Gaza” as Al Sharif mentions in the video. As a crowd gathered around him, the sound of an explosion—apparently from a strike—could be heard.

Two screenshots: one from Anas Al Sharif's post on October 18, 2024 (left), and the other from Eitan Fischberger's post on October 22, 2024 (right). Sources: (@AnasAlSharif0/Archive), (@EFischberger/Archive).

 
The video posted by Anas Al Sharif on his account garnered over 10 million views on X, with more than 64,000 interactions, including likes, comments, and shares. Across social media platforms, it recorded a total engagement of 402,000 interactions. Fischberger based his claims on screenshots from content shared by Anas Al Sharif on his Telegram channel, including photos showing Al Sharif alongside prominent leaders and members of Hamas, such as Yahya Sinwar, Mahmoud Al Zahar, and Fathi Hammad.

 

 

screenshots of a series of posts by Eitan Fischberger dated October 22, 2024, featuring images of journalist Anas Al-Sharif with Hamas political leader Fathi Hammad. The posts are numbered in sequence from 1 to 3.
Sources: 1. (@EFischberger/Archive), 2. (@EFischberger/Archive), 3. (@EFischberger/Archive)

 

Fischberger shared two images showing Anas Al Sharif with Hamas political bureau member Fathi Hammad. He also attached a video featuring Hammad inciting Palestinians to kill Jews. Using reverse image search, we found that the video of Fathi Hammad was originally broadcast in May 2021.

Two screenshots show the dates of the photos of Anas Al Sharif with Hamas leader Fathi Hammad, as shared by Fischberger. On the right: a screenshot from Anas Al Sharif’s Telegram channel. On the left: a screenshot of one of Anas Al Sharif's old posts on his former X account. Sources: (Anas Al Sharif Telegram channel/ Anas Jamal Al Sharif X).

 

The two images posted by Fischberger, showing journalist Anas Al Sharif with Fathi Hammad, date back to 2017 and 2019, predating the mentioned statements by Hammad. Thus, there is no temporal link between the photos and the statement.

In another post, Fischberger claimed that all content shared by journalist Anas Al Sharif on his Telegram channel "is affiliated with Hamas," citing several images from the channel as evidence.

 

Upon reviewing the archive of images from Anas Al Sharif’s Telegram channel over various time periods, we found diverse photos covering local political events and news, including images of Hamas leaders, as the movement has governed Gaza since 2006.

On October 23, 2024, Fischberger posted a tweet stating that "24 hours after his claims about Anas Al Sharif's ties to Hamas, the Israeli army issued a statement naming Anas Al Sharif alongside five other journalists, alleging their affiliation with Hamas and Islamic Jihad." Fischberger also claimed to have previously found evidence linking Al Jazeera journalists Hossam Shabat and Ismail Abu Omar to Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

We identified additional posts by Eitan Fischberger on X containing negative propaganda against other Palestinian journalists in Gaza, including Wael Al Dahdouh and Ismail Al Ghoul, in which he also alleged their affiliation with Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

لقطة شاشة لمنشور ليزلي كاجوموفيتز بتاريخ 23 تشرين الأول/ أكتوبر 2024 الذي زعمت فيه أن زوجة أنس الشريف هي ابنة شقيق يحيى السنوار الزعيم السابق لحركة “حماس”، المصدر: (@lkajomovitz/ أرشيف)

We also identified another account on X, belonging to Leslie Kajomovitz (@lkajomovitz), which claimed that journalist Anas Al Sharif’s wife, Bayan Al Sinwar, is the daughter of Yehya Al Sinwar’s brother. She further alleged that Yehya’s brother is named Ibrahim Al Sinwar.

Investigation revealed that Yehya Al Sinwar does not have a brother named Ibrahim. Instead, "Ibrahim" is part of Yehya’s full name, Yehya Ibrahim Hassan Al Sinwar. Yehya has two brothers: Zakaria Al Sinwar and Mohammad Al Sinwar. However, we could not find evidence to confirm or refute any familial relationship between journalist Anas Al Sharif's wife, Bayan Al Sinwar, and Yehya Al Sinwar.

The post did not receive significant engagement or reach, as it only attracted 444 interactions (likes, comments, and shares) from an audience of 10,000 followers. Following Kajomovitz’s post, the name Bayan Al Sinwar appeared 156 times on X in posts from 127 users between October 23 and October 25, 2024.

Leslie Kajomovitz has over 10,000 followers on X and describes herself as having worked in international news for 20 years. According to her professional online profile, Kajomovitz, born in the United States and raised in Latin America, works in software and visual effects with various international media organizations.

A sample of Leslie Kajomovitz’s publications shows collaborations with Israeli channels such as Reshet (Channel 13), Keshet (Channel 12), and Kan (Channel 11, Israel's public broadcaster).

A Spanish report on the soy502 website, published in May 2021, highlighted an application she developed which mentions that she had settled in Israel. There, she works for a company specializing in virtual graphics and data visualization software.

An examination of her account reveals that Kajomovitz frequently posts negative propaganda targeting specific individuals on her X account, including Palestinian journalists in Gaza.

In 2024, she shared multiple posts accusing several Gaza-based journalists of being terrorists linked to Hamas. However, she provided no evidence to substantiate these allegations.

Hossam Shabat

A chart showing the number of mentions of journalist Hossam Shabat's name in English on the X platform between October 7, 2023, and October 31, 2024. Source: (Meltwater)

Journalist Hossam Shabat's name was mentioned 160,000 times in posts from over 96,000 users between October 7, 2023, and October 31, 2024.

Arabi Facts Hub analyzed the posts identified by the monitoring tool Meltwater Explore to assess the content published about Shabat in English from the beginning of the Gaza war until the release of the Israeli army's statement.

Screenshot of a post by Khaled Hassan published on Platform X on October 23, 2024, commenting on the Israeli army's statement accusing six Al Jazeera journalists of belonging to Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Source: (@Khaledhzakariah/ Archive).

Following the Israeli army's statement on October 23, 2024, the account Khaled Hassan (@Khaledhzakariah) published a post claiming that about a month earlier, he had revealed information about journalist Hossam Shabat and alleged that he had "verified his activities."

Hassan stated that he had previously warned Shabat that "his activities, his complicity in infiltrating Israel, and his presence near Hamas fighters have been reported to the Israeli army," according to his post. He explicitly called on Hossam Shabat to cooperate with the Israeli army and provide information, saying:

"I really tried to help you, Hossam. But, unfortunately, now it’s too late! As you say in Gaza: ‘To Allah, we belong, and to Him, we shall return.’"

A screenshot of a post by Khaled Hassan on X dated September 18, 2024, is shown alongside screenshots from a Facebook account under the name Hossam Shabat. Source:(@Khaledhzakariah/ Archive)

We observed a post by the account Khaled Hassan (@Khaledhzakariah ) on X dated September 18, 2024, in which he claimed that journalist Hossam Shabat was involved in the October 7, 2023, operation.The post reached over 73,000 users on the platform, with 829 interactions, including likes, shares, and comments, and was shared by 232 people.It adopted a warning tone, alleging that "the Israeli army and security services know Hossam’s identity and the role he played in the October 7 attacks," according to Hassan.

Hassan referenced a BBC Arabic report titled What Happened to Some Cemeteries in Gaza? published in January 2024, which featured interviews with local sources and journalists, including Hossam Shabat.

According to the BBC, Shabat was one of the few Palestinians able to return to northern Gaza and document the aftermath of the Israeli army's leveling and destruction of the Beit Hanoun Cemetery.

On December 25 and 26, 2023, journalist Hossam Shabat shared photos and videos on social media showing the effects of Israeli army machinery leveling and destroying the Beit Hanoun Cemetery. One of these verified photos was later used in a BBC report.

In his post, Khaled Hassan included multiple points attempting to link Shabat to Hamas, using several screenshots from Shabat's Facebook account. Hassan then addressed the journalist directly, saying: "I advise you to contact the Israeli Defense Forces to pass on all the information you have about the hostages and Hamas. Also, avoid using any pagers for the rest of your life! The IDF will appreciate your cooperation, and you and your family will be safe."

Hassan has over 80,000 followers on X and identifies himself as an Egyptian-British-Israeli researcher specializing in terrorism, national security, and foreign policy. He also claims to be the head of the Middle East and North Africa department at an unspecified organization. Hassan visited Israel for the first time in early September 2024, as reported by The Jerusalem Post. On September 6, 2024, Hassan posted a photo on X of the sign reading “Welcome to Israel”, announcing his arrival in the country.

Screenshot of a post by Khaled Hassan on X dated September 16, 2024, featuring a photo of him with the IDF Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee. Source: (@Khaledhzakariah/ Archive)

On September 16, 2024, Khaled Hassan posted on X a photo of himself with the IDF Arabic spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, ten days after his arrival in Israel. No specific details were provided about the purpose of this visit.

In an interview with The Jerusalem Post, Hassan stated that his X account gained increasing popularity since the beginning of the Gaza war, amassing over 80,000 followers to date. Hassan’s claims against journalist Hossam Shabat relied on screenshots from posts made by a Facebook account under the name “Hossam Shabat” on October 7, 2023.

Screenshot of search results for the name (Hossam Shabat) in Arabic on Facebook.

We searched for the name Hossam Shabat in Arabic on Facebook and identified three potential accounts with the name and photo of Shabat. Two of these accounts had stopped posting for some time, while the third account, named Hossam Shabat (Hossam Basel), remained active in posting regularly until November 2024. The Hossam Shabat (Hossam Basel) account was created on December 13, 2022, and has 34,000 followers and 4,932 friends.

We browsed the account and found news, videos, and photos documenting developments in Gaza. From these indicators, it appears to be the primary account used by Shabat for sharing his journalistic coverage on Facebook.

Screenshots posted by Khaled Hassan with his post regarding journalist Hossam Shabat on X platform, dated September 18, 2024. Source: (@Khaledhzakariah/ Archive).

We reviewed what Hossam Shabat posted on October 7, 2023, and compared it with the screenshots Khaled Hassan (@Khaledhzakariah) included in his post. We found that they were indeed published.

Hassan claimed that in screenshot #2, Hossam Shabat infiltrated Israel with the Al Qassam Brigades during the October 7, 2023 attacks. The image shows fighters from the Al Qassam Brigades breaching the fence between Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories during the operation of "Al Aqsa Flood". Using reverse image search, we found that the image in screenshot #2 bears the watermark of Hamas' military media, with the Arabic text "Military Media" on it. This indicates that the image source is Hamas' military media, not Shabat.

The two screenshots show the source of the image of Hamas fighters breaching the border fence in Gaza on October 7, 2023. On the left is a screenshot from the Al-Qassam Brigades' channel on Telegram, and on the right is a screenshot of a post from journalist Hossam Shabat's Facebook account. Source: (Telegram/Facebook/Archive).

We found the image published on the Al Qassam Brigades' channel, the military wing of Hamas, on Telegram on October 7, 2023, at 09:50 AM Palestine time. Shabat shared the same image on his Facebook account at 10:10 AM Palestine time, 20 minutes after it was first posted.

Khaled Hassan posted two threatening comments on his post about Palestinian journalist Hossam Shabat on September 18, 2024. Source: (@Khaledhzakariah/ Archive)

Khaled Hassan ended his post with two threatening comments, tagging both journalist Hossam Shabat and BBC Arabic. He wrote: "@HossamShabat, hello Habibi, say hello to my friends! @BBCArabic, one of your sources here. I'd bid him farewell!"

 

Screenshot of a post by Eitan Fischberger on X dated March 24, 2024, which includes a screenshot of a post by journalist Hossam Shabat regarding alleged assaults at Shifa Hospital, according to his claims. Source: (@EFischberger/ Archive)

On March 24, 2024, Eitan Fischberger posted a tweet on X commenting on Hossam Shabat's claims regarding alleged assault by the Israeli army on a woman at Shifa Hospital. We were unable to independently verify the accuracy of these allegations.

He said: "Over the last 24 hours, Hamas propaganda has gone into overdrive about supposed rapes inside Shifa Hospital."

Screenshot of a post by Eitan Fischberger on X, dated March 24, 2024, in which he claims that journalist Hossam Shabat is hiding the identity of the media outlet he works for. Source: @EFischberger / Archive)

 

Fischberger posted several screenshots of Hossam Shabat's social media accounts, casting doubt on his journalistic credentials and claiming that he deliberately hides the organization he works for. Upon reviewing Shabat's accounts, we found that he identifies himself as a Palestinian journalist working for Al Jazeera Mubasher. 

A screenshot of a post by Eitan Fischberger on the X platform dated March 24, 2024, claiming that journalist Ismail Shabat does not wear a press vest while reporting in the Gaza Strip. Source: (@EFischberger/ Archive)

 

Fischberger continued his series of posts by sharing two photos of Shabat from his Facebook account, showing him covering events in northern Gaza without wearing a press vest. He commented, "I wonder what he does otherwise when he's not wearing the vest!"

The two photos date back to November 25, 2023, and were previously shared by Hossam Shabat on his Facebook page. One is a photo taken of him while covering events in northern Gaza, and the other is a screenshot from a video posted on the same day, showing Shabat reporting on developments in the Beit Hanoun area in northern Gaza.

Screenshots of posts from journalist Hossam Shabat's Facebook account showing him wearing a press vest while covering events in the Gaza Strip. The posts are dated: November 18, 2023, and November 20, 2023. Source: (Hossam Shabat Facebook)

 

Upon reviewing previous posts, we found other photos and videos from his journalistic coverage in which Shabat is seen wearing a press vest.

Fischberger also shared screenshots of some news and statements Shabat posted on his Telegram channel on October 7, 2023, claiming that "Shabat promotes violence by publishing Hamas statements."

 

Two screenshots from journalist Hossam Shabat's channel, shared by Eitan Fischberger in his post on X dated March 24, 2024. Source: (@EFischberger/ Archive)

 

Upon examining what was published, it became clear that the statements Shabat shared were issued by Hamas commenting on the "Al Aqsa Flood operation," and each statement was attributed to its speaker. Among the statements Shabat also shared was one from former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

 

Ismail Abu Omar

On February 13, 2023, Al Jazeera correspondent Ismail Abu Omar and photographer Ahmed Matar were critically injured when they were targeted by an Israeli drone in the Mirage area, north of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera correspondent Moamen Al Sharafi stated that an Israeli drone launched at least one missile directly at the journalists, leading to the amputation of Ismail Abu Omar's right leg and severe injuries to his left leg. Photographer Ahmed Matar sustained serious injuries to one of his hands, along with wounds to other parts of his body.

Arabi Facts Hub previously reported a coordinated online campaign following the attack on the two journalists, claiming that Ismail Abu Omar was a "terrorist linked to Hamas." The report revealed that among the accounts promoting such claims were those belonging to former Israeli soldiers, verified accounts on X, and others whose activity suggested they were involved in amplifying the Israeli narrative about the war on Gaza.

We reviewed English-language posts using the Meltwater Explore tool, which tracked mentions of journalist Ismail Abu Omar, to identify what was published about him from the start of the Gaza war on October 7, 2023, until October 23, 2024, when the Israeli military issued its statement regarding Al Jazeera journalists. We observed that Israeli influencers on X participated in the disinformation campaign targeting Al Jazeera journalist Ismail Abu Omar during February 2024. Later in 2024, they republished claims labeling him as a terrorist and alleging his affiliation with "Hamas."

Screenshot of a post by Aviva Klompas on X dated February 13, 2024, featuring two images of journalist Ismail Abu Omar: on the right, covering the events of October 7, and on the left, injured after a drone attack. Source: (@AvivaKlompas/ Archive)

 

Among these accounts is Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas), who posted on February 13, 2024, accusing Abu Omar of "broadcasting videos of terrorists desecrating Israeli bodies." Klompas' post reached over 215,000 users on X, generating 2,130 interactions, including likes, shares, and comments. A reverse image search revealed that the photo she attached to her post was taken from a video posted by Abu Omar on October 7, 2023, across his social media accounts. This video was shared during the time when Hamas fighters crossed into Israeli territory, and Abu Omar was providing on-the-ground coverage of the situation.

Screenshot from journalist Ismail Abu Omar's channel on Telegram, showing a video he posted on October 7, 2023. Source: (Ismail Abu Omar's Telegram channel)

 

We found the video posted on Ismail Abu Omar's Telegram channel on October 7, 2023, at 09:33 AM Palestine time. The video is ten seconds long, showing Abu Omar holding his phone and filming himself. Behind him is an empty area, and he is speaking to his followers saying: "Now, there is a clash from point zero in this area near Nirim, between the resistance fighters and the occupation soldiers. Mashallah, the youth are advancing, they are steadfast."

 

Screenshot of a post by Aviva Klompas on X platform, claiming that some Al Jazeera journalists have joined Hamas, based on an article by journalist Douglas Murray published on the New York Post website. Source: (@AvivaKlompas/ Archive)

 

On June 21, 2024, Aviva Klompas published a post referencing an article by British journalist Douglas Murray, in which she claimed that Al Jazeera is a "club for terrorists." She accused several Al Jazeera journalists of being affiliated with Hamas and engaging in military activities, and falsely claimed that journalist Ismail Abu Omar was "deputy commander of Hamas's eastern battalion in Khan Younis," without providing any evidence.

Klompas's post reached over 324,000 users on X and garnered 4,629 interactions, including likes, shares, and comments.

In addition to the negative propaganda against the journalists, we noticed that Klompas also spread misinformation. She falsely claimed that Wael Al Dahdouh was killed in an airstrike in Rafah in January 2024. However, according to a report from Al Jazeera, Al Dahdouh had traveled to the Qatari capital, Doha, on January 17, 2024, to receive treatment after being injured in an Israeli airstrike along with Al Jazeera cameraman Samer Abu Daqa.

Aviva Klompas has over 310,000 followers on her X account. According to her LinkedIn profile, she served as the speechwriting officer for the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations in New York and as the Vice President for Israeli Affairs and Global Jewish Citizenship at the "Combined Jewish Philanthropies" organization.

 

Screenshots of three posts published by Aviva Klompas on different dates about four Al Jazeera journalists, claiming they are "terrorists and members of Hamas." Source 1:  (@AvivaKlompas/ Archive), Source 2: (@AvivaKlompas/ Archive), Source 3: (@AvivaKlompas/ Archive)

 

Throughout 2024, Aviva Klompas posted several times on her X account about various Al Jazeera journalists, alleging their affiliation with Hamas. She accused some of them of being involved in the October 7th operation, without providing any evidence to support these claims.

 

 

A screenshot of a post by Aviva Klompas on the X platform dated May 17, 2024, claiming that "one-third of the Palestinian journalists listed by the Committee to Protect Journalists as killed in the Gaza war were working for terrorist groups." Source: (@AvivaKlompas / Archive)

On May 17, Aviva Klompas claimed that "One third of the Palestinian journalists listed by the Committee to Protect Journalists as being killed in the war in Gaza were employed by terrorist groups" citing a report published by Jewish Insider.

Preliminary investigations conducted by the Committee to Protect Journalists revealed that, as of November 14, 2024, at least 129 Palestinian journalists had been killed in Gaza since the start of the war. The committee identified that at least four Palestinian journalists were directly targeted by Israeli forces in operations classified as extrajudicial killings. These journalists were: Hamza Al Dahdouh, Mustafa Thuraya, Ismail Al Ghoul, and Rami Al Rifai.

In August, the International Federation of Journalists published a report stating that since the start of the war on October 7, 2023, Israel has used questionable and sometimes contradictory evidence to describe at least three journalists killed by Israeli Defense Forces as members or suspected members of armed groups.

The Federation called on Israel to stop making unverified claims that journalists killed by its forces were terrorists or engaged in armed activities, and urged for prompt, independent, and international investigations into these killings.