The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the world's largest advocacy group for reporters, has quietly removed eight confirmed terrorists from its widely cited list of journalists killed in Gaza, with no public acknowledgment. This move has raised fresh questions about the influential organization's credibility and repeated claims that "the Israeli army has deliberately targeted journalists."
IFJ's List and Its Implications
Like the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a high-profile organization that has been consumed by infighting over its inclusion of active Palestinian militants on its own list of slain "journalists", the IFJ's Gaza journalists list has been repeatedly used by major news organizations to discredit Israel's war operations. The Brussels-based IFJ claims to represent "600,000 media professionals from 187 trade unions and associations in more than 140 countries" and administers a running tally of "journalists" killed in Gaza since Hamas's Oct. 7 terror spree.
The organization claims to have "evidence" that Israel intentionally murders journalists. However, at least eight names on its much-touted list disappeared between June 21 and July 9, according to new research from the media watchdog group HonestReporting, which noted that IFJ "has not issued a statement regarding this removal of names." The CPJ engaged in a similar, secretive removal process, prompting the embattled organization to announce shortly after that it is conducting a wholesale review of its list.
The IFJ makes clear that it is not a disinterested party, claiming "the Israeli government [is] deliberately using starvation as a weapon against the people of Gaza" and that "Palestinian journalists and media workers are the only ones bearing witness to the atrocities." The advocacy group says it is working to "verify information in real time" alongside its partners in the Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate, a similarly biased organization.
Individuals such as Hussam Al Adlouni, Rasheed Albably, and Maisara Ahmed Salah were listed on IFJ's website as "journalists" but were later found to be linked to terrorist activities. Their disappearance from IFJ's list suggests that the advocacy group is also aware of these findings, given that it deleted several online biographies that previously identified these individuals as legitimate reporters.
The IFJ did not respond to a request for comment on the deleted entries or its methodology. HonestReporting said its findings raise significant questions in light of the turmoil facing CPJ and the international media's ongoing reliance on advocacy groups that evidence clear anti-Israel bias.