AP's Gaza reporter repeatedly ripped Israel on social media, said oppressive regime should be 'overthrown'

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A reporter for the Associated Press based in Gaza has a social media history of blasting Israel as an oppressive, apartheid regime, leading to criticism that he can't objectively cover the conflict.

An extensive report from HonestReporting, a media watchdog, laid out Issam Adwan's extensive past of shredding Israel, including calling it an "apartheid" regime, saying it would be a triumph if it was "overthrown," and comparing the Jewish state to the Nazis. Adwan has been reporting this week for the AP from Gaza after Israel declared war on Hamas following the Palestinian terror group's brutal attack Saturday.

In one now-deleted post on X, formerly known as Twitter, exactly one year ago, he wrote, the "Palestinian revolt against the Israeli oppression will be a triumph" and "every colonial system will be overthrown. Meanwhile, you should reflect on what you did to contribute to it."

In another, he states, "It's simple to identify which side you take… Supporting colonialism and apartheid is never ok to the human common sense."

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He also told an Israeli in 2019, "Don't listen to the lies they told you about us. They're spreading lies and fear to continue with the apartheid system which [separates] us of different races and religions."

In 2021, he wrote, "To all ignorants playing ‘Hamas/Khamas’ card when we talk about Israeli war crimes/apartheid//ethnic cleansing, Hamas has been established in 1987 while this ongoing genocide happens in 1948. How many massacres and killings Israel did before that? Educate yourselves." In 2019, he referred to "resistance parties and movements," in a reply to a Twitter post criticizing Islamic Jihad, a terrorist group active in the Gaza Strip.

At another point last year, he compared Israel to Nazis, calling it a "racist regime that is so similar to the Nazis."

HonestReporting also shared a screenshot of him resharing a post by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, accusing Israeli forces of being "involved in a systematic campaign to poison water wells of indigenous Palestinians as part of 1948 ethnic cleansing." 

He has also gotten into social media spats with critics of Hamas, the terrorist organization that governs the Gaza Strip.

"LET'S BE CRYSTAL CLEAR," he wrote in 2021. "DON'T ASK ME ABOUT THE ROCKETS OF HAMAS.. DON'T ASK ME ABOUT ‘VIOLENT’ PROTESTS AROUND PALESTINE. WE HAVE BEEN IN THIS GENOCIDE FOR 73 YEARS.... 73 YEARS OF NIGHTMARES. ASK ME ABOUT CHILD'S SLAUGHTER. STOP BEING IGNORANT FOR ONCE."

Adwan has posted several AP dispatches from Gaza as it comes under bombardment since Israel declared war on Hamas. The terrorist organization launched a surprise attack on Saturday against Israel, killing hundreds of civilians and taking at least 150 hostages. The gruesome violence perpetrated by Hamas has left much of the world appalled, but pockets of supporters have continued to support Palestinian "resistance" to Israel.

Adwan's stories for the AP recently have concentrated on the civilian toll from Israel's military strikes.

"Israel accuses Hamas of endangering Gaza’s civilian population by placing weapons and missile launchers in densely populated areas. It also accuses them of using civilians as human shields," Adwan wrote for the wire service on Wednesday. "But the military long has carried out airstrikes in crowded residential neighborhoods, inevitably harming civilians and civilian infrastructure."

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The AP told Fox News Digital that Adwan has been removed from reporting duties while it investigates his past further.

Issam Adwan is a Gaza native and activist who joined the Associated Press in August.

"Issam Adwan was taken off of reporting duties a few days ago while we look into this," a spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

Adwan didn't respond to a separate request for comment.

A native of Gaza, Adwan joined the AP in August after prior reporting stints with Middle East Eye and Al Jazeera English. He also served as project manager for "We Are Not Numbers," a Palestinian storytelling project, and the Palestinian Center for Democracy and Conflict Resolution. He has been an advocate throughout his life for Palestinians and what he views as unfair treatment against his people by the Israelis and their allies.

This isn't the first time the AP has tapped someone with a history of bashing Israel for a news position. In 2021, the AP hired and then fired a recent Stanford graduate as a news associate, after her history of anti-Israel social media posts came to light.

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