(MENAFN) From his tent amid the rubble of his destroyed home in Gaza, Palestinian journalist Motasem Ahmad Dalloul rejected claims by Israeli authorities that he is a “fake reporter” operating from abroad. The Israeli Foreign Ministry alleged that Dalloul was reporting on Gaza while residing in Poland.

Speaking to a news outlet, Dalloul clarified that he has remained in Gaza throughout two years of Israeli bombardment, continuing to document atrocities against civilians. He explained that, like many local journalists, he relies on an international SIM card to maintain internet access, as Israeli forces have repeatedly destroyed communications infrastructure. The SIM card, issued by a Polish company called “Plus,” caused his social media account on X to appear as if it were Poland-based.

Dalloul underscored that he has stayed in Gaza despite losing his wife and three children in Israeli attacks, driven by “a sense of duty” to report on the conflict. He highlighted Israel’s historical targeting of journalists during military operations, noting that such attacks are intended “to obscure the truth and intimidate reporters from publishing about atrocities.” He added, “Israeli propaganda outlets seized this opportunity to launch a smear campaign against me.”

For years, Dalloul has worked as an English-language journalist, producing analytical pieces and opinion articles for Western media, including the London-based Middle East Monitor. He said he collaborated with multiple international outlets across the US, South America, and Europe during the war, conducting interviews to expose “Israeli crimes against Palestinians.”

Dalloul also criticized what he described as Israel’s influence over Western media narratives.

“The (Israeli) occupation relies on a particular narrative in its war on all Palestinians, disseminated through Western and international media,” he said, “We strive professionally to expose the occupation’s false narrative, which has embarrassed Israeli media in Western outlets that now receive the real voices and images of the crimes in Gaza.”

Ramy Abdu, head of the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, condemned the Israeli claims, saying the smear campaign “exposes the ugly face of Israel and the lies it feeds on.” He added that Dalloul, who lost much of his family, is being targeted by “blatant fabrications aimed at undermining the victims’ narrative.”

Reports indicate that Palestinian journalists in Gaza have faced relentless targeting during the two-year conflict. More than 250 journalists have been killed, marking the highest number of media casualties in any conflict since World War II. In October alone, two journalists were killed and ten others injured despite a ceasefire agreement.

Since October 2023, nearly 70,000 people in Gaza—mostly women and children—have reportedly been killed, with 171,000 others injured, as Israeli military operations have left large parts of the enclave in ruins.

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