IDF Reveals 170 Gaza 'Journalists' Were Terrorists

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Thursday that intelligence research indicates 170 Gaza residents killed during the war, who were presented globally as journalists, were actually terrorists affiliated with groups like Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The military released names, photos, and documents it claims prove these individuals' organizational ties and roles within the terror groups. Some evidence reportedly comes from internal terror organization documents found during IDF operations in Gaza.

According to the IDF, 118 of these individuals were active in Hamas's military wing, 49 in Palestinian Islamic Jihad, one in the 'Desert Lions' (a smaller faction), and two in the Popular Resistance Committees. Seventeen of them participated in the October 7th invasion of Israel. "170 residents of Gaza presented as innocent journalists were actually terrorists," an IDF spokesperson stated. "We will continue to expose the lies and present the facts."

The IDF has launched a dedicated website to publish the names, photos, organizational affiliations, terror roles, and available evidence for these 170 individuals. Initially, details for ten people were uploaded, with more to follow. Some of these individuals worked for international media outlets including Reuters, CNN, ABC Australia, BBC, AFP, AP, and Le Monde. The deaths of 40 of these individuals had previously drawn condemnation from the UN.

The IDF stated this revelation aims to counter claims from media and international organizations that Israel intentionally targets journalists in Gaza. The military denies this, asserting that some individuals listed as deceased media workers were simultaneously active military operatives in terror organizations. The IDF previously clarified in 2024 that journalists and media outlets are not inherently targets, and individuals must be identified as members of a terror group's military wing or directly participating in combat.

This disclosure follows significant international criticism regarding the number of media workers killed in Gaza. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) recently removed 19 Palestinians from its list of journalists killed after determining they were terror operatives or had participated in combat. The CPJ also removed cases where they could not verify journalistic work.

The IDF maintains this new information highlights a significant discrepancy between how these individuals were presented internationally and their actual activities. Previous evidence presented by the IDF regarding certain Gaza media workers included personnel lists, salary documents, military course records, and internal phone books from Hamas and PIJ. The IDF emphasized that this is not an assertion that all Palestinian journalists killed were terrorists, but pertains to the 170 cases where evidence of terror group affiliation was gathered. The military plans to continue publishing materials on its website for public and international media review, aiming to demonstrate that the IDF does not target journalists for their work but acts against terror operatives in accordance with international law.