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

This is a contested question with no clear consensus — it depends heavily on which organization's methodology and data you trust.

The claim that a majority were terror-linked comes from Israeli sources:

•A December 2025 study by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (an Israeli think tank with ties to Israeli intelligence) asserts that a majority of Gaza-based journalists killed since the outbreak of the current war were operatives in, or closely affiliated with, terrorist organizations — primarily Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, examining 266 individuals killed between October 7, 2023, and November 30, 2025, finding at least 157 of them — roughly 60 percent — were members of terror groups or clearly affiliated with them.

•The IDF separately claimed 170 individuals who were misleadingly presented as civilian "journalists" killed in strikes on Gaza were actually affiliated with Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and other terrorist organizations, with 118 of the journalists active in Hamas's military wing, while 49 operated in Islamic Jihad.

•This institute's methodology relied on data examined by the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, of 266 individuals designated as journalists and media personnel who were killed (as of November 30, 2025), about 60% of them were members of or affiliated with terrorist organizations, based on public records, Palestinian media reports, and Hamas documents seized by the Israel Defense Forces during ground operations in Gaza.

However, independent press-freedom organizations strongly dispute this framing:

•The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the main independent tracker, states "CPJ has always been clear that we do not include anyone in our data sets if there is evidence that they were engaging in combat or inciting imminent violence," consistent with international humanitarian law, which considers journalists affiliated with non-state actors to be civilians, provided they do not directly participate in hostilities.

•CPJ did conduct a review after Hamas/PIJ published obituaries claiming some of their listed journalists were combatants, but the scale of removals was small relative to the whole list: CPJ removed eight names from its Killed database because they were later established to have been Hamas or PIJ combatants, out of a database that still stood at over 200 names.

•RSF similarly maintains a list but RSF's media abuse barometer lists 67 names, excluding two removed for ties to Hamas — a tiny fraction of total deaths, not a majority.

•Reporting from The Guardian found Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has reported that the Israeli army intentionally targeted Palestinian journalists, and the Guardian stated that some in the IDF considered Hamas-affiliated Palestinian journalists to be legitimate targets despite their non-involvement in combat, contrary to the opinion of experts in international law.

•Legal experts cited by the Guardian noted that even an Israeli military spokesperson's position "raised alarm," since under the laws of war journalists are protected unless they participate in combat operations.

Bottom line:
There is no independently verified majority finding. The "majority were terrorists" claim originates specifically from an Israeli government-aligned think tank (and IDF statements using similar methodology and sourcing — including materials provided by the Israeli military itself), which uses a broad definition of "affiliation" that press-freedom groups argue conflates working for Hamas-run outlets, holding pro-Hamas political views, or simply receiving advance notice of Oct. 7 with being an active combatant. Independent, non-governmental trackers (CPJ, RSF, IFJ) — while acknowledging a small number of individuals were wrongly included and removing them after it emerged they were combatants — have found nothing approaching majority-level militant involvement among the overall list of roughly 200–270 killed journalists and media workers. The dispute largely reflects a disagreement over what counts as "affiliation" versus active combat participation, and the sourcing (Israeli military intelligence) is a self-interested party in a conflict where it has been accused of targeting journalists.

Citations (12)

1timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
Majority of journalists killed in Gaza linked to terror organizations, study says | The Times of Israel
Source excerpt: “(AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) A new study by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center asserts that a majority of Gaza-based journalists...”
2jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
IDF: 170 alleged ‘journalists’ killed in Gaza were Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists | The Jerusalem Post
Source excerpt: “The IDF revealed on Thursday that 170 individuals who were misleadingly presented as civilian “journalists” killed in strikes on Gaza were actually af...”
3timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
IDF documents terror affiliations of 170 Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza war | The Times of Israel
Source excerpt: “According to the military, 118 of the journalists were active in Hamas’s military wing, while 49 operated in Islamic Jihad, two were members of the Po...”
4terrorism-info.org.ilNonprofits and think tanks
About 60% of the Gazans Classified as "Journalists" and Other Media Personnel Killed in the Gaza Strip War Belonged to Hamas and Other Terrorist Organizations - The Amit Terrorism and Intelligence Research Institute
Source excerpt: “According to data examined by the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, of 266 individuals designated as journalists and media personnel who ...”
5timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
Majority of journalists killed in Gaza linked to terror organizations, study says | The Times of Israel
Source excerpt: “The center said its conclusions are based on public records, Palestinian media reports, and Hamas documents seized by the Israel Defense Forces during...”
6jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad ties prompt CPJ review of Gaza journalist death database | The Jerusalem Post
Source excerpt: “(credit: BASHAR TALEB/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES) “CPJ has always been clear that we do not include anyone in our data sets if there is evidence that they w...”
7cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
CPJ undertakes review of its documentation of journalists killed in Israel-Gaza war since 2023 - Committee to Protect Journalists
Source excerpt: “(Photo: AFP/ Omar al-Qattaa) ... New York, June 25, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is conducting a full review of its database of jou...”
8cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
CPJ undertakes review of its documentation of journalists killed in Israel-Gaza war since 2023 - Committee to Protect Journalists
Source excerpt: “Consistent with this documentation approach, CPJ has removed eight names from its Killed database because they were later established to have been Ham...”
9wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
List of journalists killed in the Gaza war - Wikipedia
Source excerpt: “RSF's media abuse barometer lists 67 names, excluding two removed for ties to Hamas. ”
10wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
List of journalists killed in the Gaza war - Wikipedia
Source excerpt: “Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has reported that the Israeli army intentionally targeted Palestinian journalists. ”
11wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
List of journalists killed in the Gaza war - Wikipedia
Source excerpt: “The Guardian stated that some in the IDF considered Hamas-affiliated Palestinian journalists to be legitimate targets despite their non-involvement in...”
12wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
Killing of journalists in the Gaza war - Wikipedia
Source excerpt: “An Israeli military spokesperson confirmed that Israel does not differentiate between media workers and militants working for Hamas, a statement which...”