IDF Claims 170 Gaza 'Journalists' Were Terror Operatives

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) revealed on Thursday that 170 Gaza residents killed during the war, who were presented globally as journalists and media personnel, were in fact operatives for terrorist organizations, primarily Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The IDF presented verified evidence, including visual materials and documents recovered in Gaza, indicating their organizational affiliation and roles within the terror groups. A dedicated website has been established to display their names, photos, and the evidence.

According to the findings, 118 of these individuals were active in Hamas's military wing, 49 in Islamic Jihad, two with the Popular Resistance Committees, and one operative with the "Desert Lions" organization. The IDF also stated that 17 of them participated in the October 7th attacks on Israel. Some of those on the list had worked for or supplied materials to prominent international media outlets, including Reuters, CNN, BBC, AP, AFP, Le Monde, and ABC Australia.

"170 Gaza residents presented as innocent journalists were actually terrorists; we will continue to expose lies and present facts," said IDF Spokesperson Daffin. He also addressed accusations from the film "NAZ" (Collateral Damage), stating, "The film presents a distorted, misleading, and unrealistic picture. We never planned, approved, or carried out an attack where 500 civilians were expected to be killed."

The IDF clarified that Hamas and Islamic Jihad themselves have published information posthumously identifying some of the deceased as military operatives, sometimes even claiming them, after the narrative of Israel intentionally harming journalists had already taken hold internationally. This narrative has become a key argument against Israel by human rights organizations, international bodies, and politicians, without distinguishing between genuine journalists and those simultaneously acting as terrorists.

The IDF emphasized that "the findings illustrate the gap between reality and the picture presented to the world, and prove that military activity is not directed against media personnel, but against terrorist organizations and their operatives, in accordance with international law." The IDF also announced the recent elimination of Hamas operative Mohammed Abdelaziz Mohammed Negar in Gaza, who participated in the October 7th massacre and was subsequently presented as a journalist, with his military affiliation omitted.