A former Associated Press (AP) journalist has come forward, revealing that the news agency removed critical details from Gaza reporting due to direct threats from Hamas. The whistleblower, who worked with AP from 2006 to 2011, admitted to deleting a key line from a story that exposed Hamas fighters posing as civilians, inflating the civilian death toll.

Despite urging AP editors to include an editor's note about the censorship, he says he was overruled — marking what he called the beginning of press collaboration with Hamas censorship in Gaza.

The former staffer also criticized the international press’s reliance on Hamas-controlled sources, especially the Gaza Health Ministry, for casualty figures. He claimed that since 2008, and especially during major conflicts, the press has functioned more as an amplifier of Hamas messaging rather than providing objective coverage.

He further highlighted that no Western reporters are stationed in Gaza, and that most local journalists either support Hamas, are intimidated by it, or are members themselves — deeply affecting the credibility and objectivity of information coming from the region.