“The 37-year-old, who was responsible for the transmission technology as an engineer, was reportedly a member of the terrorist organization Hamas,” according to a statement by the ZDF broadcaster, adding that “corresponding documents” had been presented to it by the Israeli military as evidence of this.

The Bild newspaper reported that the man killed on Oct. 19 in a strike in Deir al Balah was Ahmed Abu Mutair, a platoon commander in the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing. He had also worked for Palestine Media Production, the outfit with which ZDF cut ties.

Initially, ZDF condemned Israel for Abu Mutair’s slaying.

“Our thoughts are with the victims and their families, to whom we express our deepest sympathy,” ZDF editor-in-chief Bettina Schausten said on Oct. 19. “It is unacceptable that media professionals are attacked while doing their work.”