The Israeli military has confirmed that it had killed Al-Jazeera journalist Ismail Al-Ghoul in an airstrike in Gaza, saying he was a Hamas operative who had taken part in the October 7 attack on Israel, Reuters reports.

Al Jazeera dismissed what it said were “baseless allegations” which it said were an attempt to justify the deliberate killing of its journalists. “The network condemns the accusations against its correspondent Ismail Al-Ghoul, without providing any proof, documentation or video,” it said in a statement, adding that it reserved the right to take legal action against those responsible.

The Israeli military said Al-Ghoul was a member of the elite Nukhba unit who took part in the October 7 attack and instructed Hamas operatives on how to record operations, and it said he was involved in recording and publicising attacks on Israeli troops.

“His activities in the field were a vital part of Hamas’ military activity,” it said in a statement.

Al Jazeera said Al-Ghoul had worked for the network since November 2023 and his only profession was as a journalist.

It said he had been arrested and detained at Al-Shifa Hospital in the northern part of the Gaza Strip when it was taken by Israeli forces in March before being released, which it said “debunks and refutes their false claim of his affiliation with any organisation.”