(Wall Street Journal) James Kirchick - Al Jazeera employee Anas Al Sharif was killed in an Israeli airstrike this month. International watchdog groups claim an unprecedented number of journalists have been killed in the war between Israel and Hamas. Yet these assertions rely on an expansive definition of the word "journalist." There is no independent media to speak of in Gaza, and journalists operate at either the direct command or the mercy of Hamas and other terrorist groups. Of the journalists and media workers listed by the Committee to Protect Journalists who were killed since Oct. 7, 26 were employed by or freelanced for Al-Aqsa TV, which CPJ describes as "Hamas-affiliated." 19 were employed by Al-Quds Al-Youm, which the State Department says is "run by Islamic Jihad," and 7 worked for Palestine Today, which the CPJ calls "pro-Islamic Jihad." 6 worked for Al Mayadeen or Al-Manar, the former affiliated with and the latter owned by Hizbullah. 23 worked for outlets connected to terrorist groups ranging from Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine to the Houthis. What's being hyped as an unprecedented attack on journalists is actually a cynical salvo in an information war. The figure is high because the world has never seen a conflict in which so many people working on behalf of terrorist organizations have been disingenuously characterized as journalists by once-respected watchdog groups.
2025-08-24 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive