Gaza doctor cited as media source praised Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks, prayed for fire to fill Jews' homes

By Samantha Kamman, Christian Post Reporter Monday, August 26, 2024

Palestinian militants move towards the border fence with Israel from Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023. Barrages of rockets were fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip at dawn as militants from the blockaded Palestinian enclave infiltrated Israel. | SAID KHATIB/AFP via Getty Images

Several news outlets have cited a Gaza hospital director as an official source in their coverage of the Israel-Hamas war, despite the director’s public celebration of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks and his hosting of slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh at his daughter’s wedding, according to a media watchdog group.

Dr. Fadel Naim works for Al-Ahli Hospital, which the Israeli military was initially accused of striking at the start of its operations in Gaza. However, it was later determined that a failed rocket launch by Palestinian Islamic Jihad likely caused the explosion.

HonestReporting, a media watchdog group that monitors news outlets for bias against Israel, reported last Thursday that The Associated Press quoted Naim in an article this month about a recent Israeli airstrike on a school serving as a shelter.

The AP reported that “Palestinian health authorities” said the attack killed 80 people and cited a witness named “Abu Anas” who claimed the strike occurred as people were praying. According to HonestReporting, Naim also goes by the name Abu Anas on Facebook.

In a statement to the AP, Naim said his hospital received 70 bodies, along with body parts from 10 others, following the airstrike that was initially blamed on Israel. The hospital director claimed the site was witness to the “most serious injuries” during the war.

Outlets such as Reuters and The Guardian have also cited Naim as a source in their reporting on the Israel-Hamas war.

In a statement to The Christian Post, a spokesperson for Reuters referenced the wire service's quoting of Naim in an October 2023 article about the Al-Ahli hospital explosion. The spokesperson noted that the article included comments from multiple witnesses at the scene, as well as remarks from Israeli and Palestinian officials.

"Reuters is committed to reporting on the Israel-Hamas war fairly, accurately and independently, in keeping with the Thomson Reuters Trust Principles," the spokesperson concluded.

The Associated Press and The Guardian did not respond to The Christian Post's request for comment.

HonestReporting questioned Naim’s reliability as a source, highlighting a Facebook photo that shows Haniyeh, a Hamas leader, at the wedding of Naim’s daughter. Haniyeh was killed in an Israeli airstrike last month after attending the swearing-in ceremony of new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran.

While some news outlets and wire services have described Haniyeh as “moderate,” the Hamas leader praised God for the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel while watching news reports of the mass slaughter of civilians. Haniyeh also implied that deaths in Gaza are necessary to defeat the "occupier," a reference to Israel.

In an X post last week, HonestReporting pointed to a photo Naim shared on social media on Oct. 7 of paragliders flying over a map of Israel. One of the ways Hamas terrorists invaded Israel on Oct. 7 involved paragliding into the country. In another social media post, the Gaza hospital director appeared to urge civilians to ignore evacuation warnings issued by Israel.

Former Staff Sergeant Eitan Fischberger shared an image of a 2018 post by Naim expressing admiration for Hamas leader Ahmed Yassin. In another post from 2014, also shared by Fischberger, Naim prayed for Allah to fill the homes and graves of Jews with fire.

“AP is arguably the most influential news agency in the world, with its news copy read by millions globally. If only those readers knew who AP gets its information from: a man who has glorified violence, advocated for the death of Jews, encouraged innocent Palestinians to remain in harm’s way, and knowingly spread false information,” HonestReporting stated.

According to Israeli state broadcaster KAN, which cited military sources, the Israeli Air Force conducted a precision strike on a Hamas command center based on information from the Military Intelligence Directorate (AMAN) and Shin Bet. The Israel Defense Forces reported that the strike killed at least 19 Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists and likely killed Ashraf Juda, commander of the Central Brigade of Islamic Jihad.

The IDF and Shin Bet stated that the Israeli Air Force took measures to minimize the impact of the strike on civilians sheltering inside the school. Israel has repeatedly reported that Hamas frequently violates international law by using civilian infrastructure to conduct its terrorist activities.

Israel has been at war with Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, after the terror group slaughtered at least 1,200 people and took around 240 others, including 31 Americans, as hostages during its Oct. 7 attacks.

The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry claims over 30,000 people have been killed in Gaza, but this has not been verified.

Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman