Yes. Murder has very specific definitions. (Note the plural.) Let me help you out with this, Sparky:

murder

/ ˈmɜr dər /

noun

1. ~~Law. the killing of another human being under conditions specifically covered in law. In the U.S., special statutory definitions include murder committed with malice aforethought, characterized by deliberation or premeditation or occurring during the commission of another serious crime, as robbery or arson (first-degree murder, ormurder one ), and murder by intent but without deliberation or premeditation (second-degree murder, or murder two ).~~

2. ~~Slang. something extremely difficult or perilous: That final exam was murder!~~

verb

3. ~~Law. to kill by an act constituting murder.~~

4. to kill or slaughter inhumanly or barbarously.

5. ~~to commit murder.~~

The slang definition doesn't apply, so ~~2~~. A newspaper is not a court of law, so the legal definitions are gone: ~~1~~ and ~~3~~. That leaves 5 (which itself is just a reference to the legal definition, so ~~5~~) and 4.

I think 4 applies fully here. What's happening in Gaza is definitely a slaughter, definitely inhuman, and definitely barbarous. This is also the correct register for informal reportage not related to legal actions.

So perhaps if you want to argue based on definitions you should fucking read the dictionary first, Sparky. Or get used to people pointing and laughing at you in your clown pants.