Palestinian Civil Defence spokesperson denies Israel's accusation of Hamas ties

The Israeli military has accused Mahmoud Bassal, spokesperson for the Palestinian Civil Defence (PCD), of being an "active terrorist" affiliated with Hamas - a claim Bassal strongly denies.

The allegation, announced on Sunday, is based on what the army says are documents recovered during military operations in the Gaza Strip. These documents, described as lists of Hamas members, were shared with media outlets but lack context regarding when and how they were obtained.

The army further accused Bassal of spreading false information about Israeli operations in Gaza to support Hamas’ objectives.

In response, Bassal rejected the accusations as baseless, telling AFP: "I do not work for any military organisation." He defended the PCD's role, saying that it operates in accordance with international humanitarian law.

The organisation has long been responsible for emergency response in Gaza, particularly transporting victims of Israeli airstrikes to hospitals.

PCD has featured prominently in international media coverage throughout the war, now in its 21st month, often providing updates on casualties and footage from the ground.