The Hamas ties of slain Al Jazeera reporter Anas Al-Sharif are at the center of a growing controversy over media bias and terror propaganda. Mainstream outlets mourned Al-Sharif as a fearless journalist, yet declassified Israeli intelligence identifies him as a Hamas rocket squad leader and member of the Nukhba forces—a commando unit involved in the Oct. 7 massacre.
Court filings from American victims of the attack show Al-Sharif praised the slaughter in real time. “9 hours later and the heroes are still roaming the country, killing and capturing… God, God, how great you are,” he wrote during the assault. In another message, he declared, “It is a jihad, a jihad of victory and martyrdom… Allahu akbar and thank God.” He also posted photos of dead Israeli soldiers being stepped on and shared images alongside Hamas leaders, including Oct. 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar.
None of these details appeared in sympathetic coverage from CBS News, the Washington Post, or the New York Times. Israel banned Al Jazeera last year for “broadcasting propaganda in the service of Hamas.” The overlap between the network and Hamas is extensive—other Al Jazeera journalists named in Israeli documents include known Hamas fighters, such as sniper Hossam Shabat.
Despite this, Washington Post correspondent Louisa Loveluck described Al-Sharif’s death as highlighting “the perils faced by Palestinian journalists in Gaza.” Israeli investigators say the evidence tells another story—one of a militant posing as a reporter, using the press as cover for terrorism.