‘Legitimisation cell’: Israeli army unit falsely branded journalists as Hamas operatives to justify strikes, report says

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.