Former Hostage Shlomi Ziv Speaks Out: “I Was Held Captive by a Hamas Member Posing as a Journalist”
A former Israeli hostage criticized Al Jazeera for defending a Hamas operative posing as a journalist, revealing his captor’s similar deception. The IDF exposed the operative’s role in coordinating attacks, raising concerns about media outlets employing terror supporters.
Shlomi Ziv, a former Israeli hostage freed from Gaza in February 2025, publicly condemned Al Jazeera on X for defending Anas Al-Sharif, a Hamas operative killed in an Israeli airstrike on August 10. Ziv, who was abducted during the October 7, 2023, Nova music festival attack, revealed that one of his captors in Gaza operated under the guise of a journalist. “I was held by a journalist in captivity and his father was a Doctor!!!!!!!!” Ziv wrote, highlighting how Hamas members use civilian professions to mask their terrorist activities.
Ziv also targeted Israeli MK Ayman Odeh, who expressed sorrow over Al-Sharif’s death, accusing him of supporting terrorism. “Everyone is a Hamas operative, there are no journalists there who aren’t Hamas because they would kill him for telling the truth,” Ziv stated. He vowed, “I will act with all my strength to throw you out of the Knesset, my word, I promise you, you terror supporter.”
The IDF confirmed Al-Sharif, killed alongside five others in a Gaza airstrike, was a Hamas member since 2013, using his Al Jazeera role as a cover to facilitate rocket attacks against Israel. Intelligence documents, including personnel rosters, terror training records, internal phonebooks, and salary details, exposed Al-Sharif as a cell leader in Hamas’s military wing, actively coordinating attacks on Israeli civilians and forces. The IDF emphasized that his journalistic position enabled him to blend terrorist operations with media activities, a tactic increasingly used by Hamas to shield its members.
This revelation underscores broader concerns about media outlets like Al Jazeera presenting pro-Hamas narratives and employing individuals with terror affiliations. Ziv’s experience, coupled with the IDF’s evidence, highlights the challenges of distinguishing legitimate journalism from propaganda in war zones, especially as Hamas exploits such roles to evade accountability while perpetuating violence.