The story of Omar Silawi - journalist and Hamas terrorist

Over the past few days PTWatch managed to dig up a bunch of new terrorists that the PCHR considered "civilian" victims during the Gaza operation. (We have now identified 297 "civilian" terrorists.) Here's the story of one of them.

PCHR describes victim #458 as "‘Umar Abdul Hafez Mousa al-Silawi, Male, 35, Journalist in al-
Aqsa Satallite channel, civilian."

From Mada, a Palestinian Arab journalist advocacy group:

(Jan.3) - Aqsa TV cameraman Omar Abdel-Hafiz Silawi (28 years) was killed in Beit Lahiya city (GS) after Israeli forces shelled Dr. Ibrahim Makadmeh mosque. His colleague Ibrahim Muslim said that they were covering the Israeli bombing in that area throughout the day, in particular, Kamal Adwan field hospital and the nearby areas. Silawi was filming and transferred videos to the place where the TV was broadcasting, then he transferred his wife to the hospital to give birth, then returned to take his camera and went to the mosque, which is 100m away from the hospital, and when it was bombed, he was seriously injured. “When I saw him on a stretcher sometimes I was filming him and sometimes helping they race him to the hospital,” said his colleague. “I was crying. They tried to treat him but without results. Our comfort is that his wife gave birth safely to a son.”

A very sad story indeed. But only part of the story.

Here is how Hamas' Al Qassam website describes Omar al-Silawi:

The al-Qassam fighter/martyr Omar Sailawi was born in the Saudi Arabia on the twenty-ninth of the month of September 1981. Although he was born away from his homeland "Palestine", but he was carrying in his heart and love her passion. [He moved to Gaza later - EoZ]

Omar Sailawi joined the ranks of the Islamic Resistance Movement - Hamas - since his return to the homeland, after his commitment in a mosque in al-Bashir, has begun to receive at the hands of advocates of the movement many religious lessons and courses to become one of the sons of the Muslim Brotherhood Muslims.

The martyr Omar - may God have mercy on him - joined the ranks of the Mujahidin of al-Qassam Brigades in 2004, after selflessly giving in to the demand and urgency to the leadership of Hamas for the organization in the ranks of the mujahideen, so pleased Almighty God to join him, for after being noticed for his the honesty and sincerity.

During the struggle within the ranks of the Mujahidin-Qassam Brigades, the martyr Omar - may God have mercy on him - participated in many Jihad tasks tasks, including:

* Participated in the processing of many of the explosives and mines, which were aimed at Israeli jeeps and tanks.

* Participated in the excavation and processing of tunnels and trenches.

* Participated in repelling the invasions of Zionism, which was aimed at the eastern region of the Jabaliya camp.

* Fired several mortar shells and Qassam rockets at the Zionist settlements and sites.

Yes, this "journalist" was an active member of the Hamas terrorist Al Qassam Brigades, a fact that no journalist advocacy group admits and that PCHR cannot seem to mention - although Hamas happily claims him as an honored member and martyr.

Although it is clear that this is the same person as the "journalist" mentioned above - Hamas' bio also mentions his wife giving birth an hour after he was killed - Hamas does not mention that at all in his biography.