A spokesperson for the Palestinian Civil Defense Agency in the Gaza Strip often quoted by international media is an active Hamas terrorist, the Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson’s Unit revealed on Sunday.
Documents recovered during operational activities in Gaza listed Mahmoud Saber Tafesh Bassal among other Hamas personnel, according to the IDF.
Bassal has used his public position to disseminate false and unverified information to international media, including accusations of war crimes against Israel and fabricated casualty figures, the IDF said, adding that the information has been widely circulated and has significantly distorted the reality on the ground.
The BBC quoted Bassal saying that dozens of Palestinians were killed on June 2 near an aid distribution point after they “were hit by gunfire from tanks, helicopters and quadcopter drones.” The IDF has denied the report, as well as a similar one on June 1.
In March, Bassal told CNN that Israel had executed 15 Red Crescent aid workers in Rafah. The following month, Israel’s probe of the incident determined six of the deceased were terrorists, and that IDF forces fired on the Red Crescent vehicles because they had felt threatened.
The documents now in the IDF’s possession constitute “unequivocal” proof of Bassal’s affiliation with Hamas, said the military, which claimed he plays a central role in the group’s psychological warfare and propaganda efforts.
According to the documents, Bassal joined Hamas on Jan. 29, 2005, and served as “Hamas Operative in Gaza City Brigade – Zeitoun Battalion.” His personal number within Hamas’s personnel files is 865984, the IDF said.
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit urged media outlets to “exercise caution” when reporting information originating from the Gaza Civil Defense or other Hamas-affiliated sources.
