The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has quietly taken eight individuals off its widely cited register of journalists killed in Gaza, without issuing any public comment. The removals, recorded between 21 June and 9 July, were identified by the media‑watchdog group HonestReporting.
What the IFJ says
The Brussels‑based federation, which claims to represent "600,000 media professionals from 187 trade unions and associations in more than 140 countries", maintains a running count of journalists killed in Gaza since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. It has repeatedly asserted that Israel deliberately targets media workers, stating that "the Israeli army has deliberately targeted journalists" and that "the Israeli government [is] deliberately using starvation as a weapon against the people of Gaza".
Names removed and their background
Among those previously listed were Hussam Al Adlouni, Rasheed Albably and Maisara Ahmed Salah. Subsequent investigations linked each of them to terrorist activity, prompting their removal from the IFJ website and the deletion of the biographies that had described them as legitimate reporters.
Parallel actions by other bodies
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has faced similar criticism after a secretive pruning of its own list, leading the organisation to announce a comprehensive review of its entries.
Implications and reactions
HonestReporting argues that the IFJ’s lack of transparency, combined with its overtly partisan statements, undermines confidence in the list that many news outlets rely on to assess Israel’s conduct in the conflict. The IFJ declined to comment when asked for an explanation of the deletions or details of its verification process.
Both the IFJ and the Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate, with which the federation collaborates, have been described as biased in favour of the Palestinian side. The recent findings add to ongoing scrutiny of advocacy groups that influence international reporting on the Gaza war.