Israel Labels 170 Killed Gaza Journalists as 'Terrorists'

On 1 October 2025, Effie Defrin, spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), posted on X announcing the release of a document the military calls "Press Files". The list names 170 Palestinians who had been counted as journalists killed in Gaza, but whom the IDF claims were "terrorists belonging to Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other terrorist organisations".

For each of the 170 people listed, the IDF says it has provided supporting evidence, including photographs, funeral tributes published by Hamas, and extracts from spreadsheets. The publication was framed by Defrin as a rebuttal to nearly three years of accusations that Israeli forces have deliberately targeted journalists in Gaza.

Among the names on the list are figures widely recognised in international media circles. Anas al-Sharif, a prominent Al Jazeera correspondent who was killed on 10 August 2025, is included. So is Hossam Shabat, a field reporter killed by an Israeli drone strike in March 2025. Both deaths had drawn international condemnation and calls for independent investigation.

The figures at the heart of this dispute vary significantly depending on the source. The Gaza Government Media Office, which is administered by Hamas, recorded 263 journalists killed as of 1 October 2025. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a New York-based independent press freedom organisation, counted 191 Gazan journalists killed since October 2023. The IDF list of 170 overlaps with but does not match either of those tallies.

The CPJ and other international organisations use specific criteria to verify journalist status, typically requiring confirmation of regular professional work in media before the individual's death. Hamas-linked institutions apply broader definitions, which critics say inflate the numbers. The IDF, for its part, says its own investigation shows that professional press credentials were used to provide cover for militant activity, a claim that press freedom advocates strongly dispute.

The release of the list has reignited a debate that has run throughout the Gaza conflict: how are journalists identified and protected under international law, and who bears responsibility when they are killed? Under international humanitarian law, journalists in conflict zones are considered civilians and are entitled to protection unless they directly participate in hostilities.

What this means: For readers following media freedom globally, this dispute matters because it goes beyond statistics. The gap between the IDF figure of 170 alleged terrorists, the CPJ count of 191 confirmed journalist deaths, and the Gaza authority figure of 263 reflects fundamentally different methodologies and interests. Independent verification inside Gaza has been extremely difficult throughout the conflict, making it hard for international audiences to assess any of the competing claims with certainty. Press freedom organisations say the pattern of killings, regardless of the contested labels, represents one of the deadliest periods for journalists in modern history.

Source: ION News