Hamas and Islamic Jihad Reveal Identities of Gaza Media Figures Killed as Terror Operatives
In recent months, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad have frequently published the names and roles of hundreds of commanders and operatives killed during the Gaza conflict, starting from the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel and continuing after the ceasefire in October 2025. Between January and June 2026, Hamas’s military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, disclosed over 700 militants’ names, while the Islamic Jihad’s military wing, the Al-Quds Brigades, released more than 540 names. These announcements confirmed that many individuals presented as journalists or media personnel were in fact active members of the military wings or involved in combat propaganda units.
The Amith Institute for Terror and Intelligence Research published two comprehensive studies in February 2024 and December 2025, analyzing the identities of Palestinian casualties in Gaza who were portrayed by Hamas’s propaganda office and Palestinian media as journalists. The studies found that about 60% of 266 examined casualties were affiliated with terrorist military wings, mainly Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The current research corroborates these findings, confirming that many media figures killed were also combatants or military operatives.
Several notable cases include Muhammad Sami Abdullah Jara’an, presented as a reporter but confirmed as a fighter in Hamas’s Rafah Brigade; Mustafa Kamal Bakir, a journalist and photographer who was a combat propaganda operative; and Abdullah Iyad Baritz, head of photography at a Hamas educational channel and also a combat propaganda member. Similar confirmations were made for dozens of others, including media workers affiliated with Hamas and Islamic Jihad who were killed in Israeli strikes.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is currently reviewing its database of journalists killed in Gaza after removing eight names confirmed as militants and twelve for other reasons. CPJ’s executive director, Jodie Ginsberg, condemned the misrepresentation of fighters as media personnel and the inappropriate use of the journalist label in conflict zones.
This disclosure highlights the dual roles played by many Gaza media figures during the conflict and raises questions about the use of media cover by terrorist organizations. The military wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad continue to publicly acknowledge the combatant status of these individuals, emphasizing their involvement beyond journalism.
