_WHAT’S HAPPENING_
Recent Israeli military operations have come under fire for supposedly intentionally targeting journalists. In an airstrike in Khan Younis that killed 10 people, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated that multiple targets were Hamas terrorists "operating under the guise of a journalist."
This incident has intensified the debate over journalist casualties in Gaza, with media advocacy groups claiming Israel is deliberately killing press workers. The Committee to Protect Journalists called 2024 the "deadliest year for journalists" globally, attributing nearly 70 of these deaths to Israeli actions. Israel maintains it targets only those with terrorist affiliations.
_THE FACTS_
The IDF accused “photographer” Hassan Aslih — one of the casualties in the recent Khan Younis strike — of taking part in the October 7 attacks by filming and posting footage of “looting, arson, and murder.”
Israel also took out Mohammed Al-Bardawil, a “journalist” in Gaza who was actually a senior Hamas leader producing propaganda videos.
Hamas has a history of over-reporting its casualties: they recently removed 3,400 names from its official list — including over 1,080 previously reported child deaths.
Hamas initially claimed most casualties were women and children, but its data now shows that 72 percent of those killed between ages 13 and 55 were men.
Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry admitted that some families filed false death claims to receive promised government payouts.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Gaza’s death toll includes 14,000 fighters and 16,000 civilians.
The Palestinian foreign ministry claims 207 Palestinian journalists have been killed since October 2023.
The Geneva Convention holds that "journalists enjoy the protection afforded by international humanitarian law provided that they do not take a direct part in the hostilities.”
_INSIGHTS_
Hamas uses these “journalists” to make it appear they support independent journalism, when in reality, they are used to help portray the group as a legitimate political authority. But that’s not the only tactic it uses: Hamas embeds itself beneath hospitals and schools, aiming to provoke international outrage by increasing the likelihood of civilian deaths, including children.
Amid the constant coverage of the war, however, negative views towards Israel have skyrocketed. A new Pew Research poll shows that a slight majority of all Americans, 53 percent, now view the country unfavorably, up from 42 percent in 2022. The rise among young Republicans — aged 18-49 — is especially stark, now at 50 percent; up 15 points in three years.
