Israel accuses 6 Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza of being Palestinian militants

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — The Israeli army has accused six Al Jazeera journalists covering the war in Gaza of also being current or former paid fighters for Palestinian militant groups. Al Jazeera rejected the claims made Wednesday. Israel cited documents it purportedly found in Gaza, and other intelligence it gathered, in making the accusations. It said four of the journalists are or have been affiliated with Hamas, and two with Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Al Jazeera said the accusations were “fabricated” and “part of a wider pattern of hostility” toward the pan-Arab network. The AP has been unable to independently verify the authenticity of the documents Israel posted online to support its claims.