The IDF announced on Thursday that it had identified 170 Gazans killed during the war who were presented internationally as innocent journalists and media personnel, despite also serving as military operatives in terrorist organizations.

According to the military, extensive research revealed that the individuals belonged to the military wings of various terrorist organizations operating in the Gaza Strip, primarily Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

The IDF published the identities of all 170 individuals, along with evidence of their terrorist affiliations and operational roles. The materials include photographs and documents produced by the terrorist organizations themselves and recovered by IDF troops during operations in Gaza.

The military criticized international media coverage of journalists killed during the war, saying that various outlets had repeatedly accused Israel and the IDF of deliberately targeting journalists without verified information to substantiate those accusations.

According to the IDF, some of the individuals described as journalists had been publicly identified by the terrorist organizations themselves as members of their military wings.

The IDF stated that the newly released information demonstrates a discrepancy between international portrayals of those killed and their actual activities within terrorist organizations.

The military further maintained that the findings provide evidence supporting its position that it does not deliberately or systematically target journalists, but instead conducts operations against terrorist organizations and their operatives in accordance with international law.

As part of the disclosure, the IDF established a dedicated website containing the names and photographs of the 170 individuals, details of their organizational affiliations and military roles, and additional supporting evidence that can be made public.

Earlier on Thursday, the IDF initially disclosed the identities of ten individuals who had been presented as journalists killed during the war but who, according to military intelligence, also served as terrorist operatives. The military said at the time that some of those identified had infiltrated Israeli territory during the October 7 massacre and that further cases would be released.

The initial announcement followed the elimination of Muhammad Abd al-Aziz Muhammad Nagar, a Hamas military operative who infiltrated Israel during the October 7 massacre and was killed in an IDF strike in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday.

According to the IDF, Nagar was presented as a journalist following his death, without mention of his membership in Hamas' military wing.

The military said Nagar had recently been involved in advancing attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians while working to restore Hamas' operational capabilities, in systematic violation of the ceasefire agreement.

The IDF stated that precautions were taken before the strike to minimize civilian casualties, including the use of precision munitions and aerial surveillance.