Last week, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) announced that it is conducting a review of its database of journalists killed during the Israel-Hamas war. The review follows obituaries published by Palestinian terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), that identify individuals previously listed by CPJ as journalists as combatants. The IDF, as well as numerous independent observers, have long highlighted that many of these individuals were terrorist operatives, and Hamas and PIJ are now acknowledging this openly. One analysis estimates that more than 60% of those identified as “journalists” killed in Gaza were in fact combatants.
Mainstream outlets have frequently criticized Israeli strikes on “journalists,” often without examining their roles in terrorist organizations. Hamas and PIJ have systematically used press vests and journalistic cover for combat operations and propaganda, and now openly acknowledge that many of these “journalists” were members of their combat ranks — undercutting assertions that Israel deliberately targets journalists.
Throughout the war in Gaza and its aftermath, Israel has faced false charges of famine, genocide, deliberate targeting of children, and a host of other libels. The story of Gaza’s terrorist “journalists” highlights the need for members of Congress, the media, and the broader policy community to closely scrutinize reporting from Gaza and critically assess claims about Israel.
On June 28 and June 24, respectively, PIJ acknowledged that Tarek Skheil (top) and Mohamed Skheil (bottom) were commanders in its Gaza Brigade. They were killed while hiding in Al-Shifa Hospital on March 18, 2024. CPJ listed both individuals as journalists.
On June 20, the IDF announced that it had killed Ahmed Samir Muhammad Washah (top), who was not only an Al Jazeera journalist but also a Hamas sniper. Social media posts lauded him as a mujahid and show him armed. Similarly, his brother, Muhammad Samir Muhammad Washah (bottom), was an operative in Hamas’ rocket and weapons production headquarters who operated under the guise of an Al Jazeera journalist. He was killed on April 9.
On June 12, PIJ admitted that Hilmi Mahmoud Al-Faqaawi, who had posed as a journalist for Palestine Today TV, was a deputy platoon commander in the Khan Younis Brigade. He was killed on April 7, 2025. CPJ listed him as a journalist.
On June 10, PIJ admitted that Muhammad Youssef Al‑Sakani was a deputy platoon commander in its Gaza Brigade who also worked as an Al‑Quds Al‑Youm journalist. He was killed on July 4, 2024. CPJ listed him as a journalist.
On June 1, Hamas admitted that Abdullah Breis was not only a journalist but an operative in its Khan Younis Brigade. He was killed on January 8, 2024. CPJ listed him as a journalist.
Hamas terrorist Anas Al-Sharif posed as an Al Jazeera journalist. Al-Sharif was the head of a Hamas terrorist cell and advanced rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and IDF troops. Intelligence and documents from Gaza, including rosters, terrorist training lists and salary records, prove he was a Hamas operative integrated into Al Jazeera.
