Were a majority of the Gazan journalists killed since October 7th, 2023 linked to terrorist organizations?
Short answer: It depends on what “linked” means, and there is no independent consensus that a majority were terrorists.
•Israeli authorities and an allied research institute say yes. The IDF has published a list asserting that at least 170 people in Gaza who were described as journalists or media workers and killed since October 7, 2023 were actually members of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or other militant groups. Separately, Israel’s Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center claims roughly 60% of 266 deceased “journalists and media personnel” were operatives or clearly affiliated with such groups.[1]
•Independent press‑freedom groups have not corroborated that a majority were militants. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) conducted a comprehensive review in 2026, removed some names, and reiterated that it excludes anyone found to be engaged in combat, while emphasizing that its determinations are not based on a person’s political views or affiliations. CPJ has also criticized what it calls unsubstantiated “terrorist” labels applied to some of the dead.[2]
•Why the numbers differ: Israeli tallies often count people who worked for Hamas- or PIJ-run media outlets as “affiliated” (or as operatives), whereas CPJ focuses on whether the person was performing journalistic work and excludes confirmed combatants; simply being employed by or sympathetic to a political faction isn’t enough to classify someone as a fighter under that methodology. Under international humanitarian law, journalists are protected as civilians unless they directly participate in hostilities; affiliation or employment alone does not remove that protection.[2]
Bottom line as of November 5, 2026: The claim that “a majority” of Gazan journalists killed were linked to terrorist organizations comes from Israeli government/intelligence sources using a broad definition of linkage; independent press‑freedom bodies have not verified that most of the dead were combatants or otherwise lost civilian protection.[1]
If you want, I can break down specific names/cases by the type of evidence cited for alleged affiliations.
Backs: “Separately, Israel’s Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center claims roughly 60% of 266 deceased “journalists and media personnel” were operatives or clearly affiliated with such groups.”