A reporter for Russia’s 24 hour news channel RT has been ordered to leave Gaza by Hamas after tweeting the location of rocket launchers.
In tweets which have subsequently been deleted British journalist Harry Fear said: “Last night I tweeted that a rocket was fired from near my hotel – given that loudness of the firing sound. It terrified people here … They’re locally well-known resistance sites in this area, recognised by int. correspondents who have even posted visual proof… Early morning Gaza rockets were fired into Israel. A well known site in W Gaza city, near my hotel, was among the origins, confirm locals.”
Pro-Palestinian social media users immediately castigated Fear for giving away the location of Hamas rockets at a time when Israel was bombarding the Gaza Strip. They said that he was basically inviting retaliatory attacks by the IDF.
Some even called him a “collaborator” and a “snitch” although it is thought that Fear may have made the tweets in haste without thinking through the consequences.
In any case, sources subsequently told 5Pillarz that Hamas ordered him to leave Gaza for this indiscretion and he is due to depart when Israel opens the Erez crossing tomorrow (Friday).
Fear has established a reputation for himself over the past few years having covered two Gaza/Israel conflicts, first as an independent reporter and then subsequently as an RT correspondent. He has also given interviews to many channels around the world, given a TED talk and gone on a world tour promoting his Gaza work.
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Initially, Fear’s reporting was widely watched and welcomed by Gazans and pro-Palestinians because it was sympathetic to their plight and was anti-Israel. He also accrued a large following on social media and still retains supporters in Gaza and around the world.
However, many Palestinians have also turned against Fear, saying that he puts himself and his own personality ahead of the Palestinian cause and is using Palestinian suffering to further his career.
Fear himself has yet to comment publicly about his expulsion.
‘If you are neutral in situations of injustice you have chosen the side of the oppressor’ – Desmond Tutu
“He raised the heaven on high and set the balance of all things, that you might not transgress this balance. Give just weight and full measure.” — The Koran, 55, 1
“BBC = British Bigotry Confirmed.”
