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

The question of whether a majority of the Gazan journalists killed since October 7, 2023, were linked to terrorist organizations is a subject of intense dispute. The answer depends heavily on how one defines "linked to" a terrorist group and which sources of data are used.

The debate is characterized by two conflicting narratives: one from the Israeli military and intelligence community, and the other from international press freedom organizations and media employers.

1. The Israeli Military and Intelligence Perspective

Israeli authorities and intelligence-linked groups argue that a majority of those identified as journalists killed in Gaza were active members of or closely affiliated with militant groups.

•The IDF Dossier (October 2026): The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) published a database containing the names of 170 Palestinians killed in Gaza who had been publicly identified as journalists. The IDF asserted that these individuals were actually active members of terrorist organizations—including 118 in Hamas’s military wing, 49 in Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and others in smaller factions. The IDF claimed that some of these individuals participated directly in the October 7, 2023 attacks and used their press credentials as a "cover" for military or propaganda operations.

•The Meir Amit Center Study (December 2025): A study by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (an Israeli research group) analyzed the deaths of 266 individuals identified as journalists or media workers in Gaza. The study concluded that roughly 60% (157 individuals) were members of, or clearly affiliated with, terrorist organizations (primarily Hamas and PIJ), with some serving simultaneously as armed combatants.

2. The International Press Freedom Perspective

International press watchdogs—such as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)—strongly dispute the claim that most killed journalists were terrorists.

•The Legal Definition of a Journalist: Under international humanitarian law, journalists are classified as civilians. International organizations emphasize that working for a Hamas-affiliated or state-run media outlet (such as Al-Aqsa TV) or holding specific political views does not strip a journalist of civilian protection. Under these standards, individuals are only considered combatants if they "directly participate in hostilities".

•Self-Policing and Revisions: Press freedom groups do revise their databases when credible evidence of military participation emerges. Following the publication of "martyr notices" and obituaries by Hamas and PIJ claiming certain slain journalists as combatants, CPJ conducted an extensive internal audit in mid-2026. On September 24, 2026, CPJ announced it had removed 22 individuals from its list of killed journalists because new evidence established they had participated in combat or belonged to militant groups. After these removals, CPJ's verified database recorded 191 Palestinian journalists and media workers killed.

•Disputing Broad IDF Claims: CPJ, RSF, and media employers (such as Al Jazeera and the Associated Press) have accused the IDF of making unsubstantiated, inconsistent, or overly broad allegations of "terrorism" to justify the killing of media workers and deflect international criticism. They argue that the vast majority of the journalists killed were legitimate civilian professionals reporting on the war under catastrophic conditions.

3. Media Watchdog Critiques

Conversely, pro-Israel media watchdogs, such as HonestReporting, argue that international press groups have not gone far enough in purging their databases. Following CPJ’s September 2026 audit, HonestReporting published its own assessment, claiming that over half of the 191 names remaining on the CPJ's revised list still have demonstrable ties to terrorist organizations—either because they worked directly for sanctioned Hamas-run outlets or because they had documented associations with militant groups that did not meet the strict "active combatant" threshold required for CPJ to remove them.

Summary

•Yes, according to Israeli intelligence and military data: They maintain that up to 60% to 70% of those identified as journalists killed in Gaza were active operatives or closely linked to Hamas and other militant groups.

•No, according to international press watchdogs: While they have removed dozens of individuals from their lists after finding evidence that they participated in combat, they maintain that the vast majority (roughly 90% of their verified lists) were civilian journalists protected under international law, and reject Israel’s broader categorization of media workers as "terrorists" simply due to employment or political affiliation.

Citations (14)

1washingtonpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
washingtonpost.com
Backs: “The question of whether a majority of the Gazan journalists killed since October 7, 2023, were linked to terrorist organizations is a subject of intense dispute.”
2timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
timesofisrael.com
Backs: “The question of whether a majority of the Gazan journalists killed since October 7, 2023, were linked to terrorist organizations is a subject of intense dispute.”
3jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
jpost.com
Backs: “The answer depends heavily on how one defines "linked to" a terrorist group and which sources of data are used.”
4timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
timesofisrael.com
Backs: “Israeli authorities and intelligence-linked groups argue that a majority of those identified as journalists killed in Gaza were active members of or closely affiliated with militant groups.”
5timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
timesofisrael.com
Backs: “The IDF Dossier (October 2026): The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) published a database containing the names of 170 Palestinians killed in Gaza who had been publicly identified as journalists.”
6aipac.orgNonprofits and think tanks
aipac.org
Backs: “The IDF claimed that some of these individuals participated directly in the October 7, 2023 attacks and used their press credentials as a "cover" for military or propaganda operations. The Meir Amit Center Study (December 2025): A study by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (an Israeli…”
7algemeiner.comNews and mediaquality 0.77
algemeiner.com
Backs: “The IDF claimed that some of these individuals participated directly in the October 7, 2023 attacks and used their press credentials as a "cover" for military or propaganda operations. The Meir Amit Center Study (December 2025): A study by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (an Israeli…”
8thejc.comNews and mediaquality 0.51
thejc.com
Backs: “International press watchdogs—such as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)—strongly dispute the claim that most killed journalists were terrorists. The Legal Definition of a Journalist: Under international humanitarian law,…”
9newarab.comNews and media
newarab.com
Backs: “International press watchdogs—such as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)—strongly dispute the claim that most killed journalists were terrorists. The Legal Definition of a Journalist: Under international humanitarian law,…”
10cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cpj.org
Backs: “The Legal Definition of a Journalist: Under international humanitarian law, journalists are classified as civilians. International organizations emphasize that working for a Hamas-affiliated or state-run media outlet (such as Al-Aqsa TV) or holding specific political views does not strip a journalist of civilian…”
11cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cpj.org
Backs: “Self-Policing and Revisions: Press freedom groups do revise their databases when credible evidence of military participation emerges. Following the publication of "martyr notices" and obituaries by Hamas and PIJ claiming certain slain journalists as combatants, CPJ conducted an extensive internal audit in mid-2026.”
12apnews.comNews and mediaquality 1.00
apnews.com
Backs: “After these removals, CPJ's verified database recorded 191 Palestinian journalists and media workers killed. Disputing Broad IDF Claims: CPJ, RSF, and media employers (such as Al Jazeera and the Associated Press) have accused the IDF of making unsubstantiated, inconsistent, or overly broad allegations of "terrorism"…”
13cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cpj.org
Backs: “Disputing Broad IDF Claims: CPJ, RSF, and media employers (such as Al Jazeera and the Associated Press) have accused the IDF of making unsubstantiated, inconsistent, or overly broad allegations of "terrorism" to justify the killing of media workers and deflect international criticism. They argue that the vast majority…”
14freebeacon.comNews and mediaquality 0.56
freebeacon.com
Backs: “Conversely, pro-Israel media watchdogs, such as HonestReporting, argue that international press groups have not gone far enough in purging their databases. Following”