After months of investigation, the IDF revealed Thursday evening that 170 Gazans killed during the war and presented to the world as journalists and media workers actually served as terrorists in Gaza Strip terror organizations, primarily Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
6+118 of the journalists on the list were active in Hamas terrorists, 49 operated in Islamic Jihad, one terrorist belonged to the Lords of Destruction organization, and two others to the Resistance Committees. 17 of them even infiltrated Israeli territory during the October 7 attack.
In recent months, a recurring pattern emerged in which Hamas and Islamic Jihad themselves published information indicating retroactively that some of those killed who were presented to the world as journalists and media workers were actually terrorists in the military wings of terror organizations. The information was released after the narrative that the IDF deliberately targets journalists had already taken hold in the international arena.
As part of the disclosure, the IDF is publishing verified evidence, including visual materials and documents produced by the terror organizations, some of which were found in the field during forces’ operations. The documents attest to the terrorists’ organizational affiliation and the roles they filled in the ranks of terror organizations.
Some of the journalists on the list even worked for left-wing international media outlets, including Reuters, CNN, ABC Australia, BBC, AFP, AP, and Le Monde.
6+Throughout the war, the narrative that Israel deliberately targets journalists became one of the most cited arguments against Israel worldwide. It appeared in reports by international media outlets, human rights organizations, international institutions, and politicians, without distinguishing between journalists who performed their duties and those who simultaneously operated as terrorists in terror organizations.
The killing of more than 40 of the journalists on the list, who served as terrorists in terror organizations, drew condemnations from the UN against Israel.
In a statement following the disclosure, IDF Spokesman Lt. Col. Efi Defrin said: “Today we exposed that 170 Gaza residents who were presented as supposedly innocent journalists were actually terrorists in terror organizations in the Strip.”
6+Defrin also attacked what he described as an attempt to create a picture that the IDF operates indiscriminately in the Strip. “Hamas and its supporters are trying to create a false impression of indiscriminate harm,” he said, adding: “We will continue to expose these lies and present the facts.”
For the disclosure, the IDF established a dedicated website compiling the names and photos of the 170 terrorists, their organizational affiliation, the roles they filled, and the evidence that can be disclosed about them.
6+The disclosure comes alongside an extensive IDF response to the film “NAZA,” which deals with the processes of planning and striking targets during the war. Defrin sharply attacked the film and claimed it “presents a distorted, misleading, and unrealistic picture of the target planning and striking process in the IDF.”
According to him, the filmmakers did not convey their claims to the IDF before the screening, did not allow the military to view the film, and did not request a response or fact-checking in advance. Only after the IDF viewed the film and analyzed the claims raised in it was a full response formulated.
6+“The film includes manipulative editing, which distorts reality and falsely and unsubstantiatedly attributes malicious intentions to the IDF,” Defrin said. According to him, the military’s response refutes the main claims presented in the film and addresses them according to the facts and reality on the ground.
The IDF spokesman also addressed the claim that the military allegedly approved a strike in which a huge number of civilians were expected to be killed. “I say here clearly: The IDF never planned, approved, or carried out any strike in which 500 civilians were expected to be killed, or even a number approaching that,” he clarified.
6+Defrin emphasized that the IDF’s strike processes distinguish between terrorists and uninvolved civilians, and that target identification and approval are done by authorized intelligence officers and according to the chain of command.
He also addressed claims about the use of artificial intelligence for operational decision-making and said: “We never used artificial intelligence to activate or approve targets.”
6+According to him, criticism of the IDF ignores how Hamas operates in the Strip. “Those who point an accusing finger at the IDF ignore the fact that Hamas is a cruel terror organization that uses its civilians as human shields.”
Defrin concluded his remarks with a message for the coming days: “Those who ignore the cruel and inhuman nature of October 7 give tailwinds to terror.” According to him, “We will continue to believe in the righteousness of our path, remember the fallen, defend Israel’s residents, act decisively against our enemies, and fight for the truth.”