UN Watch today released a new report, UNESCO’s Misidentification of Terrorist Operatives as Journalists in Gaza, documenting repeated cases in which UNESCO publicly identified Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives as journalists killed in Gaza, despite subsequent acknowledgments by those terrorist organizations themselves that the individuals were members of their military wings.
In a letter sent today to UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany, UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer called on the agency to correct its public record, launch an independent investigation, and hold accountable those responsible for what he described as a serious failure of verification.
“UNESCO has become a conduit for Hamas propaganda,” said Neuer. “When a UN agency publicly memorializes terrorist operatives as journalists without correcting the record after Hamas itself admits they were fighters, it undermines the credibility of the United Nations and damages the integrity of genuine journalists who risk their lives reporting from conflict zones.”
The report identifies seven cases in which UNESCO issued statements condemning the deaths of individuals as journalists, including Mohammed Abu Armana, Anas Al-Sharif, Mohammed Washah, Hamza Al-Dadouh, Mustafa Thuraya, Mohammad Jarghoun, and Mohamed Naser Abu Huwaidi. In each case, the report presents evidence that Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or the Israeli military subsequently identified the individuals as members or commanders within terrorist organizations.
According to UN Watch, UNESCO’s own methodology requires that reported journalist deaths be verified through multiple sources and updated when new evidence emerges. The organization argues that UNESCO’s failure to amend or withdraw inaccurate statements violates both its published verification standards and the principles of integrity, independence, and impartiality governing international civil servants.
UN Watch is calling on UNESCO to:
- Retract all statements falsely identifying terrorist operatives as journalists.
- Publicly condemn Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad for embedding military operatives in media roles.
- Commission an independent investigation into UNESCO’s verification procedures.
- Identify officials responsible for the inaccurate statements and impose disciplinary measures where appropriate, including termination.
- Publish the evidence and methodology used for every Gaza journalist casualty determination since October 7, 2023.
- Adopt new safeguards to ensure future statements distinguish between civilian journalists and members of terrorist organizations.
“Press freedom depends on truth,” said Neuer. “UNESCO’s mission is to defend journalism, not to launder the identities of terrorist operatives. The Organization now has an obligation to correct the record, investigate how these failures occurred, and restore confidence in its work.”
