Hamas gunmen vanished: the study that complicates the anti-Israeli newspaper

A Walla study reveals that the New York Times reported on Gaza casualties for two years in a misleading manner: 85% of headlines referred to civilians or did not specify who was killed, only 2% reported on terrorists killed on the battlefield, and the main data source, the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, was almost never disclosed. The newspaper distanced itself from Israeli sources in 25% of cases but did not question the Gaza data.

A study published by Walla examines how the New York Times reported on casualties in Gaza during the October 7 war, between October 7, 2023, and October 10, 2025. Out of 6,696 headlines dealing with the war, 1,305 dealt with casualties, and 653 of them dealt with Palestinians in Gaza. The study claims that the newspaper presented a misleading picture: 85% of headlines referred to civilians or did not specify who was killed, and only 14 headlines (2%) reported on terrorists killed on the battlefield, aside from eliminated leaders. It also found that the main data source, the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, was almost never disclosed, and only 4 headlines revealed Hamas's involvement. The newspaper distanced itself from Israeli sources in 25% of cases but did not question the Gaza data. The study mentions the false report on the explosion at Al-Ahli Hospital, where the newspaper relied on Palestinian sources, and the unusual apology after a rebuke from the White House.