The IDF stated this evening that two journalists who were reportedly killed in Gaza yesterday were in fact operatives of the Hamas terrorist organization who were active combatants in the ongoing war.
"Recently (7.1.2024), IDF troops detected a hostile drone near Rafah, an immediate threat to nearby soldiers. An IAF aircraft was dispatched to target the drone's operators. Subsequently, Palestinian media reported the deaths of journalists Hamza al-Dahdouh and Mustafa Thuria during this strike," the IDF spokesperson's unit stated.
"However, IDF intelligence has confirmed that both the deceased were members of Gaza-based terrorist organizations actively involved in attacks against IDF forces," the statement continued.
"Prior to the strike, the two operated drones, posing an imminent threat to IDF troops.
"Mustafa Thuria, identified in a document found by IDF troops in Gaza, was a member of Hamas' Gaza City Brigade, serving as Squad Deputy Commander in the al-Qadisiyyah Battalion.
"Hamza Wael al-Dahdouh, is an Islamic Jihad terrorist, and was involved in the organization’s terrorist activities. Documents found by IDF troops in the Gaza Strip reveal his role in the Islamic Jihad's electronic engineering unit and his previous role as a deputy commander in the Zeitun Battalion's Rocket Arraym" the IDF spokesperson's unit's statement concluded.