The IDF published evidence on a new website identifying 170 Gazans previously described as journalists as members of terror organizations, including 17 who crossed into Israel during the October 7, 2023 attack. The breakdown shows 118 operatives with Hamas, 49 with Palestinian Islamic Jihad, two with the Popular Resistance Committees, and one with the Mujahideen Brigades. The military said the disclosure aims to counter claims that Israel deliberately targeted media personnel.
The IDF's disclosure on Thursday represents the military's most comprehensive effort to date to rebut accusations that Israel deliberately targets journalists in Gaza. Beginning earlier in the day with an announcement of ten cases, the military later released a full list of 170 individuals. The dedicated website, 'The Press Files,' publishes each operative's name, role, and affiliation with terror groups, along with intelligence documents and visual evidence.
According to the IDF, 17 of the operatives identified were part of the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The military noted that some of the individuals worked for international news outlets including Reuters, CNN, BBC, AFP, AP, Le Monde, and others, while simultaneously serving in the military wings of terror organizations.
'This information illustrates the gap between the picture presented to the world and the reality on the ground,' the IDF said, adding that it 'presents additional and conclusive evidence that the IDF does not deliberately and systematically target journalists.' The military stressed that in some cases, the terror organizations themselves had claimed the slain individuals as their own operatives.
As The Zioneer reported earlier Thursday, the disclosure follows a pattern in which terror groups in Gaza embed personnel within civilian institutions. The IDF said additional cases will be revealed in the coming hours and that the website will be updated regularly.
9 developments
- DevelopingBBC reviewing inclusion of 53 terror operatives on Gaza journalist casualty list – report
- StrongCPJ removes combatants from Gaza journalist casualty list; reports differ on exact number
- DevelopingGazan terror groups admit slain journalists were fighters; obituaries reveal Hamas, PIJ operatives
- DevelopingPress watchdog reviews Gaza casualty list over combatant links
Source and signal
- Open-source intake