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The decision reflects growing scrutiny in Europe over local partnerships in Gaza amid ongoing hostilities.
By Shula Rosen
Germany’s ZDF television network has halted its collaboration with a Gaza production company after Israeli authorities provided documents showing that one of its employees, killed in an Israeli airstrike, was a member of Hamas’ military wing.
The German broadcaster confirmed Monday that it received information from Israel identifying the slain staffer as part of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed branch.
The employee, a 37-year-old engineer responsible for technical operations at the Palestinian Media Production (PMP) company, died on October 19 when an Israeli strike hit the firm’s facility in Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza.
The son of another PMP worker was also reportedly killed in the attack.
ZDF had asked Israel for clarification following reports of the man’s death.
According to the broadcaster, Israeli officials responded with documentation linking the engineer to Hamas, though the materials did not specify the period or nature of his involvement.
After receiving the evidence, ZDF announced that it would freeze all cooperation with PMP “until further notice.”
In a statement, the network said it was taking the matter “very seriously” and would review both the incident and the company’s overall activities before making any future decisions.
PMP had been providing local production and transmission services to international media outlets operating in Gaza. Its collaboration with ZDF included technical and on-site support for the German public broadcaster’s coverage of regional events.
The Israeli military has repeatedly stated that it targets Hamas infrastructure and personnel embedded within civilian areas, saying the group uses media and other institutions as cover for its operations.
German officials have not commented further, but the decision reflects growing scrutiny in Europe over local partnerships in Gaza amid ongoing hostilities.
The suspension marks a significant step for ZDF, one of Germany’s leading public broadcasters, as it re-evaluates its engagement with regional partners under wartime conditions.
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