Trump Vows to “Save” Hong Kong Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai
August 16, 2025
Gaza’s Press Under Fire: Journalists Fear for Their Lives
August 16, 2025
August 16, 2025 – Palestine –
A growing body of reporting suggests Israel has engaged in a systematic campaign to delegitimize and endanger journalists in Gaza by portraying them as Hamas operatives. Investigations by Israeli‑Palestinian outlet +972 Magazine and others reveal the existence of a covert “legitimisation cell” within Israeli military intelligence, established after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. Its mission was to gather information—even of dubious credibility—to smear Palestinian journalists as terrorist affiliates, thus providing cover for strikes against them and deflecting international criticism. One intelligence source candidly described the aim as maintaining Western military support by shaping a narrative of legitimacy.
On August 10, 2025, this campaign culminated in tragedy when Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al‑Sharif and several colleagues were killed in an Israeli airstrike near al‑Shifa Hospital. Israel claimed al‑Sharif was a Hamas cell leader, but provided no verifiable evidence. Al Jazeera and press freedom advocates condemned the strike as a targeted assault on journalists. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and others called these claims an attempt to cloak intentional killings with misinformation.
Broad coverage in mainstream outlets, including Arab News, The Guardian, and The Times of India, underscores this disturbing pattern—the military unit aimed to weaponize intelligence to uphold hasbara efforts and blunt global outrage over media casualties.
This strategy unfolds amid an increasingly oppressive environment for journalists in Gaza: with international correspondents largely banned, local press bear the burden of coverage—despite mounting threats. Since October 2023, more than 180 Palestinian journalists have been killed, making Gaza the deadliest conflict for media workers on record.
In sum, mounting evidence indicates a deliberate campaign to undermine press freedom through misinformation and military force. By labeling independent journalists as militants, authorities appear intent on eroding public trust in critical reporting and shielding their actions from scrutiny. This poses a grave threat to transparency and journalistic integrity amid one of the world’s most devastating conflicts.
Reference –
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2611999/amp
https://thewire.in/world/legitimisation-cell-israeli-military-unit-palestinian-journalists
