The Israeli military has operated a special unit called the “Legitimization Cell,” which gathers intelligence from Gaza aimed at bolstering Israel’s image in international media. The unit, established after October 7, focuses on identifying Hamas’ use of schools and hospitals for military purposes, failed rocket launches, and journalists it can portray as undercover operatives.
The Legitimization Cell’s motivation is not security, but public relations. Its members are driven by anger that Gaza-based reporters are “smearing [Israel’s] name in front of the world.” The unit’s work involves finding intelligence to counter growing global outrage over Israel’s killing of reporters. If criticism intensifies on a particular issue, the Legitimization Cell is told to find intelligence that can be declassified and used publicly.
Information gathered by the unit is passed to the Americans through direct channels and is said to be vital for prolonging the war. The unit also seeks evidence linking Gaza’s police to the October 7 attack to justify targeting them. However, in one case, the Legitimization Cell misrepresented intelligence, labeling a journalist as a Hamas operative.
The unit’s actions have been criticized for their impact on journalists reporting from Gaza. Al Jazeera journalist Anas Al-Sharif was killed in an Israeli airstrike after being targeted by Israel’s media war and accusations of being a Hamas operative. His colleague Ismail Al-Ghoul was also killed, with the army accusing him of being a “military wing operative and Nukhba terrorist.”
The Legitimization Cell’s work is often driven by a desire to find material for hasbara – propaganda aimed at bolstering Israel’s international legitimacy. The unit has been accused of manipulating intelligence to serve this purpose. Despite this, the Israeli military views the media as an extension of the battlefield, allowing it to declassify sensitive intelligence for public release.
In response to questions about Al-Sharif’s killing, the IDF Spokesperson claimed that the army attacked a terrorist from Hamas who was operating under the guise of a journalist. However, Al-Sharif himself stated that he never hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification.
Source: https://www.972mag.com/israel-gaza-journalists-hamas-hasbara