Israeli army unit 'tasked with smearing and targeting Palestinian journalists in Gaza'

The Israeli army has a special intelligence unit tasked with smearing and targeting Palestinian journalists in Gaza, according to an investigation by +972 magazine. Referred to as the “Legitimisation Cell,” the unit was formed in October 2023 at the start of the war in Gaza. The unit's purpose is to portray Palestinian journalists as Hamas operatives in order to justify their targeted killings and reduce international outrage. This report follows the recent assassination of several journalists, including Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif, after a months-long campaign to portray him as a military operative.