Hassan Aslih killed in airstrike amid Hamas allegations
- The IDF claims to have recovered documents linking Hassan Aslih to Hamas, suggesting he held a military identification number.
- Aslih worked previously as a contract photographer for both CNN and AP before they cut ties amid controversy over his alleged affiliations.
- His death in an airstrike on May 13 has intensified discussions around the risks faced by journalists in conflict zones and the implications of alleged ties to militant groups.
On May 13, 2023, Hassan Aslih, a freelance photographer, was killed in an Israeli airstrike at a hospital in southern Gaza. At the time of his death, Aslih was receiving treatment for injuries sustained in an earlier airstrike at the same facility in April. Following his death, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) alleged that they had recovered documentation linking Aslih to Hamas, the militant group responsible for the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel. The IDF claimed that the documents showed Aslih was not merely a journalist but a member of Hamas's military wing. Israeli authorities contended that Aslih infiltrated Israeli territory on October 7, filming violent events connected to the Hamas attack. The IDF released images of the documents, which reportedly identified Aslih as a Hamas member and indicated he possessed a military ID number linked to the group. The Associated Press (AP) and CNN terminated their contracts with Aslih in 2023 following controversies related to how he documented the attack and accusations regarding potential ties to Hamas. Moreover, a lawsuit was filed by victims of the October 7 attack, alleging that AP had prior knowledge of the events and their association with several freelance journalists. Although AP denied these claims, insisting they had no foreknowledge of the attack and that they received Aslih's photographs after violence erupted, the situation raised questions about journalistic ethics and responsibilities in conflict areas. In Gaza, Aslih was respected for his work as a photojournalist, and his presence on social media let him share live updates and war-related imagery. However, following the accusations from the IDF, Hamas's media office publicly denounced the claims as attempts to discredit journalists operating in the region. Following the significant loss of life among journalists in Gaza since the October 7 events, Aslih's death was noted as part of a troubling trend faced by media professionals in conflict zones.