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Mamdani Mourns Death of Journalist Whom IDF Says Was a Hamas Terrorist

An Al-Jazeera cameraman who was killed by Israeli strikes was mourned by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a press conference where he was asked about his derogatory comments toward the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and Israel. Israeli Defense Forces are now alleging that the slain Ahmed Washah was a Hamas sniper. 

In a statement to the New York Post, the IDF said, "In recent months, he advanced sniper attack plans and worked alongside his brother, Muhammad Samir Muhammad Washah, a key terrorist in Hamas’ rocket and weapons production headquarters, who also operated under the guise of an Al Jazeera journalist and was eliminated in April." The Israeli strike in Gaza killed three people on Saturday, one of whom was Washah. The IDF said all three victims were members of Hamas.

The IDF also released a statement on X. 

Mamdani mourned the death of a man whom the IDF alleges was a Hamas sniper during his response to a question asking him to address his comments about AIPAC, in which he said they are "monsters who move dark money.” "I want to be very clear. We're talking about a status quo, where children are being killed on a daily basis. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military since the so-called ceasefire," said Mamdani before naming Washah as a victim.

Several photos have surfaced online showing Washah posing with rifles, though the IDF has not provided further evidence to back the claim.