Even Israel’s military and government are standing under withering criticism. New allegations have surfaced that a new special intelligence assessment unit was instructed to target journalists in Gaza, declaring them all Hamas fighters. According to reports, the real “legitimisation cell” was formed just days after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Its true purpose, it seems, is advancing the PR of Israel—not providing for our national security.
According to some reports, the Israeli government even gave explicit directives to the military about who should be targeted by this unit. Its broader objective appears to be gathering information that could enhance Israel’s international image and secure support from key diplomatic allies. Military operations with the purpose of retaking Gaza have escalated since mid July. This act raises grave concerns about freedom of the media and safety of journalists in active war zones.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) can confirm that Israel has conducted at least 26 targeted killings of journalists in this current hostilities. More recently, these actions have been described as murders. Among the dead was Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif, who was killed with three colleagues while working in their improvised newsroom. According to Israeli authorities, Sharif was an operational commander in Hamas. Yet, industry members and many others have been vocal about their doubts and criticisms about these claims.
In early 2024, Israeli Military Intelligence’s detailed counterterrorism assessment indicted Sharif of acting in concert with Hamas. They created a capacity-challenging, unpersuasive gallery of half-cooked arguments laced with questionable evidence to back their appraisal.
“If the global media is talking about Israel killing innocent journalists, then immediately there’s a push to find one journalist who might not be so innocent, as if that somehow makes killing the other 20 acceptable,” – an intelligence source quoted in +972 magazine.
On a quite typical recent Friday, Israeli military operations left at least 16 Palestinians dead. Among them were five people who were attempting to obtain food assistance. Evacuation orders are currently in place for the northern section of Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood. This further worsens an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
Israel is preparing to intensify its ground offensive in Gaza. This has further prompted worldwide condemnation from press freedom advocates over the conduct and intent of the legitimization cell. As critics have noted, these tactics therefore “manufacture consent to kill.” They argue that this is used to provide a pretext for violent retribution against journalists.
“smearing [Israel’s] name in front of the world,” – an intelligence source quoted in +972 magazine.
As the conflict continues, acute ethical questions arise around the treatment of journalists. It undermines the legitimacy of everything we hear in an information war. The impact on so-called militants is devastating. Hidden harm has a multiplying effect, harming not just the people directly engaged and impacted, but the broader journalism ecosystem operating in conflicted areas.