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 subject of intense dispute, with vastly different conclusions depending on the source of the analysis and how "terrorist links" are defined.

While Israeli research groups and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claim that a majority (around 60%) of the killed media workers were active operatives or affiliates of terrorist groups, international press freedom organizations, independent watchdogs, and United Nations experts strongly reject this claim, asserting that the vast majority were legitimate, non-combatant journalists.

The arguments and evidence supporting both sides of this dispute are detailed below.

The Argument That a Majority Had Terrorist Links (Israeli Perspective)

The claim that a majority of the killed journalists had terrorist ties is largely based on Israeli military intelligence and a comprehensive study published in December 2025 by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC), an Israeli research institute with close ties to the country's security establishment.

•The ITIC Study Findings: The ITIC analyzed the identities of 266 individuals identified as journalists or media workers killed in Gaza between October 7, 2023, and November 30, 2025.

•The 60% Claim: The study concluded that 157 individuals (roughly 60%) were members of or clearly affiliated with terrorist organizations. This included 104 linked to Hamas and 45 linked to Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).

•Dual-Role Allegations: The report claimed many of these individuals held "dual roles," serving as active combatants, military commanders, or drone operators for militant groups while simultaneously utilizing press credentials and "Press" vests as cover.

•Evidence Used: The ITIC and the IDF stated that their conclusions were drawn from internal Hamas and PIJ rosters seized by Israeli forces during ground operations, public records, and official obituaries published by the militant groups.

The Counter-Argument That the Majority Were Legitimate Journalists (Press Freedom Groups)

International press watchdogs—such as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF)—as well as UN special rapporteurs, argue that the Israeli military has engaged in a systematic campaign to discredit Gazan journalists and justify their deaths by labeling them as terrorists.

•The Distinction Under International Law: Under international humanitarian law, journalists working for state-owned, state-sponsored, or politically-affiliated media (such as the Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV) are legally classified as civilians, provided they do not directly participate in hostilities. While Israel classifies all employees of Hamas-affiliated entities as terrorists, international watchdogs only disqualify individuals from their databases if there is credible evidence that they were active combatants or directly inciting imminent violence.

•Disputed IDF Evidence: Independent investigations and press watchdogs have accused the IDF of publishing unverified, flawed, or fabricated evidence to retroactively label killed journalists as militants. For example, analysts pointed to IDF-released documents with glaring errors (such as alleging a journalist was assigned a military rank at age 10) or cases where the "evidence" of terror affiliation consisted of empty templates or unsubstantiated intelligence claims.

•The CPJ Database Review (2026): In mid-2026, after Hamas and PIJ began publishing official military obituaries for several individuals who had been listed as journalists, the CPJ launched a comprehensive review of its casualty database.

•In September 2026, the CPJ concluded its review. It removed 20 individuals from its database after establishing that they had indeed engaged in combat.

•Despite these removals, the CPJ confirmed that 191 killed Palestinian journalists and media workers remained verified as legitimate civilian media professionals, reaffirming that the overwhelming majority of those killed were not combatants.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the disagreement comes down to definition and verification:

1.If using Israel's criteria—which defines any employee of Hamas-funded media, political affiliates, or state organs as a member of a terrorist organization—a majority of the killed media workers are classified as having "terrorist links."

2.If using international legal standards and independent press databases (like the CPJ)—which classify state-media employees as civilians and only exclude active combatants—only a small minority (around 10% of those tracked by CPJ) have been proven to have militant roles, meaning the vast majority of killed Gazan journalists were legitimate, non-combatant media workers.

Citations (12)

1timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
timesofisrael.com
Backs: “While Israeli research groups and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claim that a majority (around 60%) of the killed media workers were active operatives or affiliates of terrorist groups, international press freedom organizations, independent watchdogs, and United Nations experts strongly reject this claim, asserting…”
2ecoi.netNonprofits and think tanks
ecoi.net
Backs: “While Israeli research groups and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claim that a majority (around 60%) of the killed media workers were active operatives or affiliates of terrorist groups, international press freedom organizations, independent watchdogs, and United Nations experts strongly reject this claim, asserting…”
3apnews.comNews and mediaquality 1.00
apnews.com
Backs: “While Israeli research groups and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claim that a majority (around 60%) of the killed media workers were active operatives or affiliates of terrorist groups, international press freedom organizations, independent watchdogs, and United Nations experts strongly reject this claim, asserting…”
4thejc.comNews and mediaquality 0.51
thejc.com
Backs: “The claim that a majority of the killed journalists had terrorist ties is largely based on Israeli military intelligence and a comprehensive study published in December 2025 by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC), an Israeli research institute with close ties to the country's security…”
5timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
timesofisrael.com
Backs: “Evidence Used: The ITIC and the IDF stated that their conclusions were drawn from internal Hamas and PIJ rosters seized by Israeli forces during ground operations, public records, and official obituaries published by the militant groups.”
6cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cpj.org
Backs: “International press watchdogs—such as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF)—as well as UN special rapporteurs, argue that the Israeli military has engaged in a systematic campaign to discredit Gazan journalists and justify their deaths by labeling them as terrorists. The…”
7jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
jpost.com
Backs: “The Distinction Under International Law: Under international humanitarian law, journalists working for state-owned, state-sponsored, or politically-affiliated media (such as the Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV) are legally classified as civilians, provided they do not directly participate in hostilities. While Israel classifies…”
8commondreams.orgNews and mediaquality 0.54
commondreams.org
Backs: “Disputed IDF Evidence: Independent investigations and press watchdogs have accused the IDF of publishing unverified, flawed, or fabricated evidence to retroactively label killed journalists as militants. For example, analysts pointed to IDF-released documents with glaring errors (such as alleging a journalist was…”
9aipac.orgNonprofits and think tanks
aipac.org
Backs: “The CPJ Database Review (2026): In mid-2026, after Hamas and PIJ began publishing official military obituaries for several individuals who had been listed as journalists, the CPJ launched a comprehensive review of its casualty database. In September 2026, the CPJ concluded its review.”
10jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
jpost.com
Backs: “The CPJ Database Review (2026): In mid-2026, after Hamas and PIJ began publishing official military obituaries for several individuals who had been listed as journalists, the CPJ launched a comprehensive review of its casualty database. In September 2026, the CPJ concluded its review.”
11lorientlejour.comNews and media
lorientlejour.com
Backs: “Despite these removals, the CPJ confirmed that 191 killed Palestinian journalists and media workers remained verified as legitimate civilian media professionals, reaffirming that the overwhelming majority of those killed were not combatants.”
12reddit.comForums and Q&A
reddit.com
Backs: “If using international legal standards and independent press databases (like the CPJ)—which classify state-media employees as civilians and only exclude active combatants—only a small minority (around 10% of those tracked by CPJ) have been proven to have militant roles, meaning the vast majority of killed Gazan…”