Were a majority of the Gazan journalists killed since October 7th, 2023 linked to terrorist organizations?

Whether a majority of the Gazan journalists killed since October 7, 2023, were linked to terrorist organizations is a subject of intense debate, with the answer depending heavily on how "linked to a terrorist organization" is defined, who is considered a "journalist," and which source’s data is used.

The issue involves two highly conflicting perspectives:

1. The Israeli Government and IDF Perspective

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israeli research organizations argue that a majority of the individuals killed in Gaza who were presented as journalists did have direct ties to terrorist groups.

•IDF Database: The IDF released a database identifying 170 Palestinians killed in Gaza who had been presented as journalists but whom the military claimed were active members of terror groups (primarily Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad). According to the IDF, 118 of these individuals were active in Hamas's military wing, 49 were in Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and some participated directly in the October 7 attacks.

•State-Run and Party Media: Pro-Israel watchdogs and think tanks, such as the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, published studies asserting that approximately 60% of the Gaza-based media workers killed were active operatives in or closely affiliated with Hamas, PIJ, or other militant groups. This figure heavily includes individuals employed by Hamas-run media outlets, such as the Al-Aqsa TV channel, Al-Aqsa Radio, and the Voice of Prisoners radio.

•Dual Roles: The IDF argues that many of these individuals held dual roles, acting as journalists or media workers by day and functioning as military operatives, propagandists, or combatants for armed groups by night.

2. The Press Freedom and Human Rights Organizations' Perspective

Prominent international press freedom groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), as well as the United Nations, strongly dispute the claim that a majority of the killed journalists were terror operatives.

•International Law Definition of "Journalist": Under international humanitarian law, working for a media outlet affiliated with a political party or a state—even a designated terrorist organization like Hamas—does not strip a media worker of their civilian status. CPJ’s longstanding policy is to include journalists working for state-backed or militant-affiliated media in their casualty counts, provided they are not actively engaging in combat or inciting imminent violence. Therefore, press freedom groups do not consider simply being employed by Hamas-run media as a valid "terrorist link" that makes a journalist a legitimate military target.

•CPJ Database Review and Removals: In mid-2026, CPJ conducted a comprehensive audit of its casualty database after Hamas and PIJ published military obituaries claiming some previously listed "journalists" as combatants or commanders in their armed wings. Following this review, CPJ removed 22 names from its list of killed media workers because they were determined to have engaged in combat or did not meet the definition of a journalist.

•The Majority Remain Classified as Civilians: Even after removing these individuals, CPJ maintains that the vast majority—concluding that at least 191 Palestinian journalists and media workers killed since October 7 were legitimate civilian media professionals. They reject the premise that the majority were active terrorists, pointing out that Israeli forces remain responsible for the vast majority of journalist deaths worldwide in recent years.

•Contested Evidence: Press freedom groups and news outlets (most notably Al Jazeera) have accused Israel of launching "smear campaigns" and fabricating evidence to justify the targeting of journalists. For instance, in several high-profile cases where Israel claimed killed Al Jazeera journalists were Hamas military commanders, critics pointed out factual errors and chronological inconsistencies in the documents produced by the IDF (such as military documents listing a journalist as receiving a military rank when they were only 10 years old).

Summary

•Yes, according to the IDF and pro-Israel watchdogs, a majority (or close to it) of the killed media workers were linked to terrorist organizations, because they classify any employment in Hamas-run media or documented organizational ties as a terrorist affiliation.

•No, according to independent press freedom groups, because international standards dictate that working for partisan media is not the same as being a combatant. While these groups have confirmed and removed a small minority of individuals (around 10%) who were proven to have active combat roles, they maintain that the vast majority of the killed Gazan journalists were civilian non-combatants.

Citations (15)

1timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
timesofisrael.com
Backs: “The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israeli research organizations argue that a majority of the individuals killed in Gaza who were presented as journalists did have direct ties to terrorist groups.”
2terrorism-info.org.ilNonprofits and think tanks
terrorism-info.org.il
Backs: “The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israeli research organizations argue that a majority of the individuals killed in Gaza who were presented as journalists did have direct ties to terrorist groups.”
3jewishinsider.comNews and media
jewishinsider.com
Backs: “IDF Database: The IDF released a database identifying 170 Palestinians killed in Gaza who had been presented as journalists but whom the military claimed were active members of terror groups (primarily Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad). According to the IDF, 118 of these individuals were active in Hamas's military…”
4themedialine.orgNews and media
themedialine.org
Backs: “This figure heavily includes individuals employed by Hamas-run media outlets, such as the Al-Aqsa TV channel, Al-Aqsa Radio, and the Voice of Prisoners radio.”
5aipac.orgNonprofits and think tanks
aipac.org
Backs: “Dual Roles: The IDF argues that many of these individuals held dual roles, acting as journalists or media workers by day and functioning as military operatives, propagandists, or combatants for armed groups by night.”
6gijn.orgNonprofits and think tanks
gijn.org
Backs: “Prominent international press freedom groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), as well as the United Nations, strongly dispute the claim that a majority of the killed journalists were terror operatives.”
7time.comNews and mediaquality 0.83
time.com
Backs: “Prominent international press freedom groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), as well as the United Nations, strongly dispute the claim that a majority of the killed journalists were terror operatives.”
8wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “Prominent international press freedom groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), as well as the United Nations, strongly dispute the claim that a majority of the killed journalists were terror operatives.”
9cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cpj.org
Backs: “International Law Definition of "Journalist": Under international humanitarian law, working for a media outlet affiliated with a political party or a state—even a designated terrorist organization like Hamas—does not strip a media worker of their civilian status. CPJ’s longstanding policy is to include journalists…”
10jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
jpost.com
Backs: “CPJ Database Review and Removals: In mid-2026, CPJ conducted a comprehensive audit of its casualty database after Hamas and PIJ published military obituaries claiming some previously listed "journalists" as combatants or commanders in their armed wings. Following this review, CPJ removed 22 names from its list of…”
11cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cpj.org
Backs: “CPJ Database Review and Removals: In mid-2026, CPJ conducted a comprehensive audit of its casualty database after Hamas and PIJ published military obituaries claiming some previously listed "journalists" as combatants or commanders in their armed wings. Following this review, CPJ removed 22 names from its list of…”
12apnews.comNews and mediaquality 1.00
apnews.com
Backs: “The Majority Remain Classified as Civilians: Even after removing these individuals, CPJ maintains that the vast majority—concluding that at least 191 Palestinian journalists and media workers killed since October 7 were legitimate civilian media professionals. They reject the premise that the majority were active…”
13lorientlejour.comNews and media
lorientlejour.com
Backs: “The Majority Remain Classified as Civilians: Even after removing these individuals, CPJ maintains that the vast majority—concluding that at least 191 Palestinian journalists and media workers killed since October 7 were legitimate civilian media professionals. They reject the premise that the majority were active…”
14timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
timesofisrael.com
Backs: “They reject the premise that the majority were active terrorists, pointing out that Israeli forces remain responsible for the vast majority of journalist deaths worldwide in recent years. Contested Evidence: Press freedom groups and news outlets (most notably Al Jazeera) have accused Israel of launching "smear…”
15cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cpj.org
Backs: “Contested Evidence: Press freedom groups and news outlets (most notably Al Jazeera) have accused Israel of launching "smear campaigns" and fabricating evidence to justify the targeting of journalists. For instance,”