On 11 January 2009, the English-language website of Israel’s Haaretz newspaper published an article by Amira Hass, entitled “Gaza residents: IDF troops posing as Hamas men.” The article was removed from the website hours after publication.
Haaretz told Arab Media Watch via email that the reason for its removal was that “the IDF censor had not cleared it for publication.” There was no indication that the article’s accuracy was in doubt. AMW asked the newspaper how many, and what other articles had been censored during the Gaza conflict, but did not receive a reply.
“The accusation that Israeli forces wore the uniforms and symbols of Hamas’s Iz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades during the ground invasion of Gaza has serious implications, not only where international law is concerned, but also with regard to the veracity of claims made by Israel about Hamas tactics and alleged abuses,” said AMW chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi.