Recent announcements by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad identifying members killed during the war have revealed that several individuals previously reported as journalists were also members of the terror organizations' military wings.
According to a review published this week by The Times of Israel, the groups have in recent weeks begun publicly identifying dozens of operatives killed during the fighting, including several people who had previously been described by media organizations and advocacy groups as journalists.
Among them was Ahmed Abu Eisha, who was killed in an Israeli drone strike in central Gaza's Nuseirat refugee camp on July 10, 2025. Abu Eisha was initially identified as a journalist for Palestine Today, a television channel affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and was included in the Committee to Protect Journalists' database of journalists killed during the war.
However, on June 1, Palestinian Islamic Jihad's military wing announced that Abu Eisha had served as a unit commander and operative in the organization's Central Information Unit within its Central Brigade.
The Committee to Protect Journalists has since removed several names from its database after determining that those individuals had participated in combat. The organization stated that it reviews cases when new information becomes available and removes individuals found to have been engaged in fighting.
Among those removed was Mohammed Nasser Abu Huwaidi, who was previously identified as a journalist before Islamic Jihad later listed him as a member of its military media unit. Another was Yaqoub Anan al-Bursh, whom Hamas identified as a member of its Northern Brigade and described as one of its military media commentators.
CPJ also removed Maysara Salah from its database after Hamas-affiliated media identified him as a member of the organization's military media apparatus and a fighter in its Northern Brigade.
While CPJ has revised its records in those cases, other organizations, including the International Federation of Journalists and the Stop Murdering Journalists database, continue to list several of the individuals as journalists without noting their affiliations with Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The report also cited Hussam al-Adlouni, who was described as a journalist following his death in July 2025 but was later identified by a Hamas-affiliated Telegram channel as an operative in the Khan Younis Brigade's Military Media Department.
Throughout the war, the IDF has repeatedly stated that some individuals identified publicly as journalists were also members of Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad involved in military activity.
Most recently, the IDF said Ahmed Samir Muhammad Washah, who worked as a cameraman for Al Jazeera, was also an operative in Hamas's military wing and had advanced sniper attack plans against Israeli forces.
The report also noted additional cases in which individuals initially described as civilians were later identified by Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad as members of their military organizations, including soccer player Ahmed Abu al-Atta, whom Islamic Jihad later identified as deputy commander of the Gaza City Brigade's rocket unit, and 66-year-old Ahmed Khamis Abu Younis, whom Hamas identified as a member of its Rafah Brigade.