‘Legitimisation cell’: Israeli army unit falsely branded journalists as Hamas operatives to justify strikes, report says August 16, 2025 at 01:30AM

An Israeli military unit reportedly targeted journalists, aiming to portray them as Hamas operatives to deflect criticism over media deaths, according to +972 magazine. Intelligence sources revealed the "legitimisation cell" was formed post-October 7th to bolster Israel's image. The military allegedly viewed media as an extension of the battlefield, even distorting intelligence to falsely link journalists to Hamas.