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

This is a contested claim with sources on both sides of the debate. Here's what the evidence shows:

Claims supporting a "majority" figure

The most prominent source for this claim is the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (an Israeli think tank with ties to former intelligence officials). A study by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center 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 the identities of 266 individuals identified as journalists or media workers killed in Gaza between October 7, 2023, and November 30, 2025. Specifically, at least 157 of them — roughly 60 percent — were members of terror groups or clearly affiliated with them.

Separately, the IDF itself published its own list in October 2026, claiming 170 Gazans killed during the war who were presented as journalists and media personnel were in fact serving as terrorists for terror organizations in the Strip, foremost among them Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The IDF broke this down further: 118 of the journalists were active in Hamas's military wing, while 49 operated in Islamic Jihad, two were members of the Popular Resistance Committees, and one was in the Mujahideen Brigades. Seventeen of the people on the list invaded Israeli territory in the October 7, 2023, attack.

There is some corroborating evidence: since early 2026, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, disclosed the names of more than 700 "martyrs," while the Jerusalem Brigades, the PIJ's military wing, published more than 540 names, and some of these lists have included individuals previously reported as journalists.

Pushback and disputes over methodology

Press freedom organizations strongly contest this framing on several grounds:

1. CPJ's own review found a much smaller number. The Committee to Protect Journalists conducted a formal audit and removed eight names from its Killed database because they were later established to have been Hamas or PIJ combatants, with a further 12 individuals removed for other reasons — out of a database of over 200 names, far short of a "majority."

2. CPJ disputes the legal standard being applied. CPJ's CEO stated: "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. This is consistent with international humanitarian law, which considers journalists affiliated with non-state actors to be civilians, provided they do not directly participate in hostilities."

3. Critics argue evidence is often thin or outdated. One Palestinian researcher cited by CPJ noted that "despite obituaries by Hamas/PIJ, the Committee to Protect Journalists investigated thoroughly and concluded those journalists were NOT engaged in any militant activity... They may have in the past. That doesn't make them combatants forever." Critics also note the IDF's own evidence in some cases consisted only of undated photos of journalists allegedly taking part in Hamas or PIJ military activities.

4. International press freedom bodies reject the "legitimate target" framing. The IDF has stated it does not differentiate between media workers and militants working for Hamas, a statement which the Guardian said had raised alarm among legal experts, as under the laws of war journalists are protected unless they participate in combat operations. The UN's special rapporteur on freedom of expression, Irene Khan, has also pushed back, stating Israel had engaged in disinformation on this topic.

5. Scale of the toll remains disputed but large regardless. Even using conservative counts, independent monitors still document well over 150 journalist deaths not tied to any militant claims — the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported that 192 journalists, at least 184 of them Palestinian, had been killed by Israel as of 10 August 2025, and various bodies agree this is the deadliest period for journalists in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict since 1992 and the single deadliest conflict for journalists in all known conflicts in the history of the world.

Bottom line

The "majority linked to terrorism" claim originates primarily from Israeli government/military sources and an aligned Israeli think tank, using documents partly sourced from Hamas/PIJ's own martyr announcements and IDF intelligence assessments. Independent press freedom organizations like CPJ, RSF, and the IFJ dispute this characterization, having found far fewer confirmed cases (single digits to low dozens) after their own review processes, and argue that even past militant affiliation doesn't automatically justify killing someone under international humanitarian law if they weren't actively engaged in combat. There is no independent, non-partisan verification of the 60% figure — it remains a contested claim rather than an established fact.