Israel’s tried-and-true tactics to smear Gazan journalists as Hamas

On Sunday, when Al-Jazeera journalist Anas Al-Sharif was killed along with five of his colleagues in a direct Israeli airstrike outside Gaza City’s al-Shifa hospital, the Israeli army did not deny targeting him. On the contrary, they confirmed and celebrated the killing.

“Al-Sharif was the head of a Hamas terrorist cell and advanced rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and IDF troops,” the Israeli army posted shortly after the strike. “Intelligence and…