If you listen to the headlines, Israel has declared war on journalism. UN agencies and global media outlets now claim that over 240 “journalists” have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023. The image is meant to be clear: Israel seeks to silence objective reporting to cover its alleged crimes. The truth, however, is not nearly so tidy.
In reality, not a single accredited foreign journalist—the kind recognized by international press bodies—has been killed in Gaza since the war began. What we’re seeing is something very different: the deaths of Hamas-accredited local media operatives, many of whom are embedded within or affiliated with the group’s political and military wings. In other words, propagandists, not reporters.
This distinction matters. Not just for legal accountability, but for truth itself.
Accreditation isn’t a vest and a Twitter handle
To be a journalist in the legal and ethical sense of the term is to meet a basic threshold: affiliation with a recognized, independent outlet; a record of reporting; and, in conflict zones, international accreditation—such as the IFJ’s...
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