Qatar’s Al Jazeera news group aired on Aug. 27 its investigative report “Rafah … Contact missing” about the capture of Israeli officer Hadar Goldin by Hamas' military wing, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, in Rafah during the Gaza war in 2014. The report, prepared by Gaza correspondent Tamer al-Meshal, revealed for the first time exclusive footage and information about al-Qassam Brigades' planning process. The footage spiked controversy in Israeli media outlets, as more than 70 articles were published including news reports, commentaries and analyses of what was revealed.
It was not the first time Al Jazeera broadcast footage of Hamas’ military operations against Israel. Another Al Jazeera correspondent in Gaza, Wael al-Dahdouh, had worked on a report called “Group 9,” about an organization affiliated with al-Qassam Brigades. The report, aired Sept. 21, 2014, revealed new details about the “Nahal al-Awz” operation on July 29, 2014, east of Gaza City.
On Aug. 9, 2014, Al Jazeera broadcast its popular report “Fi Diyafat al-Boundoukiya” on how al-Qassam Brigades were founded. The report, directed by Iyad Daoud, featured first-of-a-kind interviews with al-Qassam Brigades leaders Mohammed al-Deif and Ahmed Jabari.
Al-Monitor recently visited Al Jazeera’s offices in the Gaza Strip, and there were dozens of certificates of appreciation and thank you badges given by Hamas and other Palestinian factions to the channel and its correspondents for their journalistic performance.
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