Al Jazeera has dismissed 24 Gaza-based journalists and staff after a US lawsuit filed in February 2025 by Shurat HaDin, backed by StandWithUs, alleged that some employees had ties to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). The Committee to Protect Journalists removed 20 names from its database on June 25 after confirming those individuals had links to Hamas or PIJ and is conducting a broader review. CPJ says its listings rely on multiple independent sources and has urged Israeli authorities to permit in-person verification in Gaza for accurate reporting.
Al Jazeera Dismisses 24 Gaza-Based Staff After US Lawsuit Alleges Ties To Hamas, PIJ; CPJ Removes 20 Names
A journalist holds the blood-covered camera belonging to Palestinian photojournalist Mariam Dagga, a journalist who freelanced for AP since the start of the war and who was killed in an Israeli strike on Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, during her funeral on August 25, 2025. (photo credit: AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES)
Al Jazeera has dismissed 24 journalists and support staff who worked in the Gaza Strip after a US civil lawsuit accused the Qatari broadcaster of providing support to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). The move follows media reporting and a wider review by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) into how some individuals were classified as journalists during the Israel–Hamas war.
Lawsuit Allegations and Network Response
The lawsuit, filed in February 2025 by the Israeli litigation group Shurat HaDin with backing from the advocacy organization StandWithUs, names specific Al Jazeera employees and alleges that some had ties to, or in some cases were members of, Hamas or PIJ. Ynet reported the dismissals on Friday; Al Jazeera has not publicly disputed the report and did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
CPJ Review And Database Changes
In June, The Jerusalem Post reported that CPJ would conduct a comprehensive review of its database of journalists killed during the Israel–Hamas war after Hamas and PIJ published obituaries identifying certain individuals previously listed by CPJ as journalists as members of their organizations. On June 25, CPJ said it had removed 20 names from its database after confirming those individuals had worked for Hamas or PIJ.
"CPJ has always been clear that we do not include anyone in our data sets if there is evidence that they were engaging in combat or inciting imminent violence," CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg said. "This is consistent with international humanitarian law, which considers journalists affiliated with non-state actors to be civilians, provided they do not directly participate in hostilities."
CPJ said it relies on at least two independent sources, desk-based research and, where feasible, in-person reporting before adding someone to its database as a journalist or media worker. The organisation also noted that in-person verification by researchers outside Gaza has not been possible since the start of the war because Israel has restricted access for international correspondents.
Verification Challenges And Legal Steps
Because independent verification on the ground in Gaza has been limited, CPJ has petitioned the Israeli government and the country’s Supreme Court to lift those restrictions and allow foreign journalists and researchers to enter Gaza for independent checks. CPJ said it is conducting a full review to ensure that no one actively engaged in hostilities is listed in its data, and it condemned any misrepresentation of combatants as journalists or the misuse of press insignia.
Note: Mathilda Heller contributed to this report.
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