A Palestinian Arab reporter killed last week by Israeli fire was detained and beaten by Hamas security forces in 2015, a global journalist body said Wednesday, after Israel accused him of being a member of the Islamist group. Yasser Murtaja was shot dead during clashes on the Gaza border Friday while, witnesses said, wearing a press vest, leading to criticism of Israel's open-fire policy.
Israel's Defence Minister Avigdor Liberman on Tuesday accused the journalist of being an active member of Hamas, Gaza's Islamist rulers, with which the Jewish state has fought three wars in a decade. Liberman claimed the 30-year-old had received a salary since 2011 and held a rank similar to captain in Hamas's armed wing, but provided no evidence for the claim.
AFP