‘Totally Fabricated’: What Palestinian Resistance Told Drop Site About Israel’s Claim on H. Shabat

Drop Site’s Jeremy Scahill shared new information about two Palestinian journalists targeted by Israel—Hossam Shabat, who was assassinated in Gaza, and Ali al-Samoudi, who is now facing trial in the West Bank.

In Shabat’s case, Hamas told Jeremy they conducted an internal audit—reviewing Qassam Brigade records and interviewing members—and confirmed that Shabat was never a sniper, as Israel alleged; he was not in Qassam, and had no affiliation with Hamas. They said the Israeli documents used to justify his killing were “totally fabricated.”

Ali al-Samoudi, a respected journalist from Jenin, is now facing terrorism charges. Israel claims he is tied to Islamic Jihad, without offering any evidence. When Jeremy brought the case directly to PIJ’s second-in-command, he responded with disbelief:

“He has no connection to us—other than the kind you have, Jeremy. He interviewed us.”

Jeremy said these cases reveal a larger pattern: “Palestinians are constantly being forced to prove a negative—to prove their innocence, even to prove their humanity—after being killed or jailed.”