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

Whether a majority of the Gazan journalists killed since October 7, 2023, were linked to terrorist organizations is a highly contentious question. The answer depends heavily on how "linked" is defined, who is performing the analysis, and how international watchdogs categorize media workers operating in a conflict zone.

Israeli military and intelligence analyses assert that a majority of those killed had active terror ties. Conversely, international press freedom watchdogs argue that the vast majority were legitimate media workers, though several organizations have recently revised their lists to remove individuals confirmed to have been active combatants.

The primary perspectives, findings, and audits detailing this dispute include the following:

1. The Israeli Intelligence and Military Position

Israeli authorities and research institutions argue that a majority of the individuals described as journalists in Gaza were active members of or closely affiliated with terrorist groups.

•The ITIC Studies: The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC), an Israeli research group, published a comprehensive study analyzing the identities of 266 Palestinians identified as journalists or media workers killed between October 7, 2023, and late November 2025. The ITIC concluded that approximately 60% (157 of the 266 individuals) were active operatives in or closely affiliated with terrorist organizations—primarily Hamas (104 individuals) and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (45 individuals). The study claimed many of these individuals had "dual roles," serving as military combatants, commanders, or weapons manufacturers while simultaneously working in media.

•IDF Database: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) published a database containing 170 names of killed Palestinian journalists whom they identified as active members of terror groups. According to the military, 118 of these individuals were active in Hamas's military wing and 49 in Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The IDF claimed that some of these individuals were combatants who had actively participated in the October 7, 2023, attacks or worked as snipers.

2. Audits and Corrections by International Watchdogs

For much of the conflict, international media watchdogs like the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) published high casualty figures and accused Israel of systematically targeting journalists. However, both organizations underwent significant database audits after Palestinian militant groups began publishing official military obituaries ("martyr notices") claiming several slain "journalists" as active combatants or military commanders.

•Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ): CPJ conducted an extensive review of its database of slain media workers. By September 2026, CPJ announced it had removed a net total of 36 individuals from its list of killed journalists after determining they had engaged in combat or did not meet the definition of a journalist. Despite these removals, CPJ's updated list still attributed the deaths of over 190 journalists to Israeli forces, maintaining that the vast majority were legitimate media workers and that Gaza remains historically dangerous for the press.

•Reporters Without Borders (RSF): RSF similarly removed several names from its database of slain media workers after open-source evidence and militant obituaries confirmed their active military roles in Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

3. The Core Disagreement: "Affiliation" vs. "Combat"

The divergence in these figures stems from a fundamental disagreement over what constitutes a "link" to a terrorist group under international law:

•The Broad Israeli Definition: Israel considers anyone employed by Hamas-run or PIJ-run media outlets—such as Al-Aqsa TV, Al-Quds, or Palestine Today—to be "affiliated" with a terrorist organization. Because Hamas governs Gaza and tightly controls its local media ecosystem, a significant portion of Gazan journalists worked for state- or party-affiliated outlets.

•The International Law Definition: International press freedom groups and legal experts argue that working for a politically biased or state-controlled media outlet does not strip a journalist of civilian status. Under international humanitarian law, media workers are classified as civilians and are protected from attack unless they actively participate in hostilities (i.e., engage in direct combat). Watchdogs like the CPJ and RSF only remove individuals from their lists if there is evidence they took up arms or acted as combatants.

Summary

While Israeli military and research analyses conclude that about 60% of the media workers killed in Gaza were linked to or were active members of terrorist organizations, international watchdogs dispute this majority claim. While these watchdogs have acknowledged and corrected their databases to remove dozens of individuals who were revealed to be active combatants, they maintain that the vast majority of those killed were non-combatant media workers protected under international law.

Citations (16)

1timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
timesofisrael.com
Backs: “Israeli military and intelligence analyses assert that a majority of those killed had active terror ties.”
2timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
timesofisrael.com
Backs: “Israeli military and intelligence analyses assert that a majority of those killed had active terror ties.”
3timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
timesofisrael.com
Backs: “Conversely, international press freedom watchdogs argue that the vast majority were legitimate media workers, though several organizations have recently revised their lists to remove individuals confirmed to have been active combatants.”
4lorientlejour.comNews and media
lorientlejour.com
Backs: “Conversely, international press freedom watchdogs argue that the vast majority were legitimate media workers, though several organizations have recently revised their lists to remove individuals confirmed to have been active combatants.”
5jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
jpost.com
Backs: “The ITIC concluded that approximately 60% (157 of the 266 individuals) were active operatives in or closely affiliated with terrorist organizations—primarily Hamas (104 individuals) and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (45 individuals).”
6themedialine.orgNews and media
themedialine.org
Backs: “The study claimed many of these individuals had "dual roles," serving as military combatants, commanders, or weapons manufacturers while simultaneously working in media. IDF Database: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) published a database containing 170 names of killed Palestinian journalists whom they identified as…”
7aipac.orgNonprofits and think tanks
aipac.org
Backs: “The IDF claimed that some of these individuals were combatants who had actively participated in the October 7, 2023, attacks or worked as snipers.”
8wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “For much of the conflict, international media watchdogs like the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) published high casualty figures and accused Israel of systematically targeting journalists. However, both organizations underwent significant database audits after Palestinian…”
9wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “For much of the conflict, international media watchdogs like the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) published high casualty figures and accused Israel of systematically targeting journalists. However, both organizations underwent significant database audits after Palestinian…”
10terrorism-info.org.ilNonprofits and think tanks
terrorism-info.org.il
Backs: “However, both organizations underwent significant database audits after Palestinian militant groups began publishing official military obituaries ("martyr notices") claiming several slain "journalists" as active combatants or military commanders. Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ): CPJ conducted an extensive…”
11jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
jpost.com
Backs: “Reporters Without Borders (RSF): RSF similarly removed several names from its database of slain media workers after open-source evidence and militant obituaries confirmed their active military roles in Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.”
12wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “Reporters Without Borders (RSF): RSF similarly removed several names from its database of slain media workers after open-source evidence and militant obituaries confirmed their active military roles in Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.”
13shorthandstories.comNot yet classified
shorthandstories.com
Backs: “The Broad Israeli Definition: Israel considers anyone employed by Hamas-run or PIJ-run media outlets—such as Al-Aqsa TV, Al-Quds, or Palestine Today—to be "affiliated" with a terrorist organization. Because Hamas governs Gaza and tightly controls its local media ecosystem, a significant portion of Gazan journalists…”
14fara.govGovernment
fara.gov
Backs: “Because Hamas governs Gaza and tightly controls its local media ecosystem, a significant portion of Gazan journalists worked for state- or party-affiliated outlets. The International Law Definition: International press freedom groups and legal experts argue that working for a politically biased or state-controlled…”
15jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
jpost.com
Backs: “Because Hamas governs Gaza and tightly controls its local media ecosystem, a significant portion of Gazan journalists worked for state- or party-affiliated outlets. The International Law Definition: International press freedom groups and legal experts argue that working for a politically biased or state-controlled…”
16cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cpj.org
Backs: “Watchdogs like the CPJ and RSF only remove individuals from their lists if there is evidence they took up arms or acted as combatants. Summary”