Widow condemns senator's false Hamas claim against Gaza journalist

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 2 Nov, 19:38 · Archive

A Liberal senator retracted allegations that a Gaza journalist killed in Israeli strikes was a Hamas militant.

Liberal senator Sarah Henderson alleged during a Senate estimates hearing that Roshdi Sarraj, a Palestinian journalist contracted by Australia's ABC who was killed in Israeli strikes in October 2023, was a Hamas militant. She held up a printout of an Israeli Defence Force report while addressing ABC executives, stating it was 'incumbent' on them to ensure they were not hiring journalists who worked for terrorist organisations.

Henderson later retracted her assertions in a statement to media outlets, saying she had 'incorrectly' identified Sarraj and had written to the parliamentary committee to correct the record in Hansard.

Sarraj's widow, Shrouq Aila, an award-winning journalist herself, condemned the accusations as deeply distressing and callous. Speaking from Gaza, she questioned how Henderson could justify calling her late husband a terrorist, noting he was the father of an 11-month-old daughter at the time of his death. Aila said she felt angry hearing her husband disparaged after the displacement, grief and hardship the family had endured during the conflict.

How it is being reported

• Widow slams false Hamas claim against Gaza journalistThe widow of a journalist in Gaza who worked for ABC has lambasted a Liberal MP for incorrectly alleging he was a Hamas militant which she later backtracked on.Perth Now · 2 Nov, 19:01
• Widow slams false Hamas claim against Gaza journalistThe widow of a journalist in Gaza who worked for ABC has lambasted a Liberal MP for incorrectly alleging he was a Hamas militant which she later backtracked on.The West Australian · 2 Nov, 19:01

In this story: Sarah Henderson · Roshdi Sarraj · Shrouq Aila · Australian Broadcasting Corporation · Gaza · Hamas

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log