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

I'll investigate whether most Gazan journalists killed since October 7th were tied to terrorist groups.

Claims that a majority were linked to terrorist organizations are disputed and depend on the source.

Claims that a majority were linked:

•The Israeli military revealed that 170 Palestinians killed in Gaza who were publicly identified as civilian "journalists" were actually affiliated with terrorist organizations, including 118 members of Hamas's military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, 49 members of Islamic Jihad

•The Israel Defense Forces separately published a database identifying 170 deceased Gazans who had been presented as journalists or media personnel whom it said served in the military wings of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular Resistance Committees, or the Mujahideen Brigades

•An independent review by the Israeli media watchdog HonestReporting of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) audit found that leaves a total of 191 supposed Gazan journalists on the CPJ's rejiggered database—102 of whom still have demonstrable "connections to terrorist groups"

•HonestReporting concluded "53 percent of those still listed have terrorist ties, with CPJ failing to remove identified terrorists and even reinstating some to the database"

•In an earlier audit HonestReporting found that 120 of the 209 Gazan media workers, or 57 percent, had terrorist ties

•A study by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center examined 266 media workers reported killed between October 7, 2023, and November 30, 2025. Of these, 157 — roughly 60% — were either members of terrorist groups or worked for outlets affiliated with them

•The 60% figure most widely cited traces to a Meir Amit analysis which reviewed a list of 266 people described as journalists or media workers killed in Gaza and concluded at least 157 were members of terror groups, including 104 tied to Hamas and 45 to Islamic Jihad

•A Telegraph investigation found 53 people on BBC Arabic's list of journalists killed were later claimed by Hamas and other terror organizations as members, of more than 180 names.

Counter-claims and context:

•The Committee to Protect Journalists documented 189 Palestinian journalists and media workers killed by Israel in Gaza as of September 2026, and after its audit concluded "that Israel was responsible for the deaths of 191 journalists and media workers in IOPT [Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories] since October 7, 2023". CPJ ultimately removed 19 terrorists and 3 other fake journalists from the list, but maintained its count.

•Press-freedom organizations continue to accuse Israel of unlawfully killing or deliberately targeting journalists in some cases, while Israel rejects allegations of systematic targeting

•Critics of the IDF list say it has been debunked due to a lack of credible evidence, with some files containing empty pages, clearly edited documents, and unverifiable snippets

•Palestinian political analyst Muhammad Shehada reviewed every entry on the list and called it "the most sloppy shameless fraud possible"

In summary, Israeli government and Israeli-affiliated watchdog and research centers (IDF, HonestReporting, Meir Amit) assert that 53-60% - a majority - of those presented as journalists killed had affiliations with Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad or other groups. International press-freedom groups (CPJ) and some independent analysts dispute the methodology and evidentiary basis for those terrorism-link claims, and maintain the death toll represents journalists killed. There is no independent consensus verification of a majority being terrorist-linked.

Citations (4)

1algemeiner.comNews and mediaquality 0.77
IDF Reveals 170 Gaza ‘Journalists’ Were Terror Operatives, Escalating Scrutiny of Wartime Media Death Toll
Backs: “Claims that a majority were linked to terrorist organizations are disputed and depend on the source. Claims that a majority were linked: The Israeli military revealed that 170 Palestinians killed in Gaza who were publicly identified as civilian "journalists" were actually affiliated with terrorist organizations,…”
2substack.comBlogs and newsletters
More Than Half the Names on Committee to Protect Journalists List of Slain Gaza Journalists Are Still Linked to Terror Outfits Despite Group’s Self-Policing ‘Audit’
Backs: “The Israel Defense Forces separately published a database identifying 170 deceased Gazans who had been presented as journalists or media personnel whom it said served in the military wings of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular Resistance Committees, or the Mujahideen Brigades. An independent review by the…”
3substack.comBlogs and newsletters
Even in revised CPJ list of Dead Gazan “journalists,” more than half have terrorist ties
Backs: “HonestReporting concluded "53 percent of those still listed have terrorist ties, with CPJ failing to remove identified terrorists and even reinstating some to the database". In an earlier audit HonestReporting found that 120 of the 209 Gazan media workers, or 57 percent, had terrorist ties”
4tps.co.ilGovernment
‘Dual Roles Undermine Trust in Media’: Most Journalists Killed in Gaza Had Terror Ties, Study Finds
Backs: “A study by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center examined 266 media workers reported killed between October 7, 2023, and November 30, 2025. Of these, 157 — roughly 60% — were either members of terrorist groups or worked for outlets affiliated with them”