Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen reporter broadcasts from Majdal Shams attack scene

Al Mayadeen reporter Hanaa Mahamid claimed that the death of the 12 children in the attack were attributed to an "Israeli attack."

 Al Mayadeen reporter Hanaa Mahamid broadcasts from the scene where 12 children were killed from a Hezbollah rocket in Madjal Shams, July 28, 2024. (photo credit: screenshot, VIA MAARIV/SECTION 27A COPYRIGHT ACT)
Al Mayadeen reporter Hanaa Mahamid broadcasts from the scene where 12 children were killed from a Hezbollah rocket in Madjal Shams, July 28, 2024.
(photo credit: screenshot, VIA MAARIV/SECTION 27A COPYRIGHT ACT)

Following the rocket strike that killed 12 children in the Druze town of Majdal Shams, an Al Mayadeen reporter, Hanaa Mahamid, arrived on Sunday at the scene of the attack and reported on the strike, Israeli media reported on Sunday. 

Al Mayadeen is a Hezbollah-affiliated news network based in Beirut that is supportive of Iran and the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. 

While reporting, Mahamid referred to the Golan Heights as "the occupied Syrian Golan." She also claimed that the children killed in the disaster died "due to the Israeli attack," Israeli media reported. 

What is the status of Al Mayadeen in Israel?

During the war, Al Mayadeen was temporarily banned in Israel in accordance with emergency regulations approved by the government to prevent the foreign broadcasting agency from harming the state's security. 

Israeli media reported that Mahamid's microphone did not show the channel's symbol, and there is a possibility that she broadcasted via phone. 

 Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi signs emergency orders against Hezbollah-afillated media outlet Al-Mayadeen on November 13, 2023 (credit: COMMUNICATIONS MINISTRY)
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi signs emergency orders against Hezbollah-afillated media outlet Al-Mayadeen on November 13, 2023 (credit: COMMUNICATIONS MINISTRY)

N12 reported that Mahamid wrote on her Instagram on Sunday, "Majdal Shams - a piece of the heart. Today, the heart is broken. Its people are respected Druze-Syrians, victims of the occupation like any Palestinian - so make no mistake." 

Mahamid was injured by shrapnel while covering clashes in Issawiya in 2015, and she returned to broadcast while she was bandaged, Ynet reported. According to the same report, Hamas and Fatah congratulated her, calling her "a fighter."