Allegations against media coverage of Gaza

The so-called "major" media have been accused of spreading propaganda attributed to Hamas, with claims that there was no "famine" in Gaza, the "journalists killed" were jihadists, and many "UNRWA employees" were agents of terrorists. These allegations suggest that the terror exercised by Hamas against Palestinian civilians has not been adequately addressed in media coverage.

Global reactions to Israeli actions

Following the deadliest terrorist attack in Israeli history on October 8, 2023, defamatory accusations began circulating globally. Demonstrators in New York, London, and Sydney chanted slogans supporting Palestinian resistance, while Colombian President Gustavo Petro compared Israeli policy to Nazism. Human Rights Watch and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights described Israel's decision to suspend electricity exports to Gaza as a "war crime," despite Israel having not launched any military retaliation at that stage.

Progressive media and Hamas-related claims

These accusations are not only raised by radical groups but also become part of the rhetoric of progressive major media. In March 2024, the Spanish daily El País published an op-ed by American academic Judith Butler titled: "Facing the atrocities of Hamas and the genocide committed by Israel against Palestinians." On April 6, Le Monde reported that the north of the Gaza Strip was plunged into famine. On August 13, 2025, Jodie Ginsberg, director general of the Committee to Protect Journalists, stated in the London Guardian that Israel is eliminating journalists in Gaza.

Control of information in Gaza

In Gaza, information gathering is controlled by the regime, which arrests opponents, interrogates dissidents, threatens families, and punishes those accused of collaboration. Amnesty International has documented nine extrajudicial executions or illegal killings attributed to forces affiliated with Hamas after the October 2025 ceasefire. An UN investigation recorded 249 cases of extrajudicial executions or serious physical violence between August 2024 and January 2026, with at least 60 involving forces affiliated with Hamas. Amnesty also describes arbitrary arrests, torture, interrogation of dissidents, and threats against the relatives of opponents.

Famine claims and media reporting

Since October 7, many Western media have chosen to consider biased contents as reliable information, despite common sense and professional ethics. The erroneous allegations about a famine in Gaza have been treated as authentic information by many Western media. However, the International Food Security and Nutrition Monitoring System (IPC) warned of an "imminent" famine in northern Gaza in March 2024 but found no evidence of a famine in June 2024. A new humanitarian investigation in late 2025 noted maternal malnutrition, increased childhood diseases, and poor food quality but no famine.

UNRWA employee allegations

The accusation that Israel is trying to discredit the UNRWA by suggesting it is full of jihadists has been challenged. On June 5, the office of the Inspector General of USAID transmitted 108 files of UNRWA employees or former employees suspected of participating in the October 7 attacks or being affiliated with Hamas to the State Department.

Journalist deaths and media reporting

The recurring accusation of "journalists killed by Israel" in Gaza is another case of media smoke-screening. An investigation by Liberation found that 46 of the so-called journalists killed in Gaza were also listed as fighters within Palestinian organizations. The distinction between members of armed groups who exercise a "continuous combat function" and those who participate in hostilities only occasionally is important in international humanitarian law.

Genocide claims and legal responses

The accusation of genocide against Israel has become commonplace in many media and universities, but neither of the two main jurisdictions in The Hague has established that Israel committed such a crime. Joan Donoghue, who presided over the International Court of Justice, clarified that the Court did not find the accusation of genocide "plausible," but recognized the right of Palestinians to be protected against such a crime as plausible. Karim Khan, prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, requested arrest warrants against Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity but did not use the term genocide.