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 global dispute. The answer largely depends on which source is consulted and how "linked" is defined.

Israeli military intelligence and state-linked research bodies argue that a majority of those killed were affiliated with militant groups, whereas independent international press freedom watchdogs and major media investigations strongly dispute this, maintaining that the vast majority were civilian journalists.

The Case Supporting the Claim (Israeli Findings)

Israeli authorities and supportive research groups argue that terrorist organizations in Gaza systematically used journalistic credentials as a cover for military operations.

•The Meir Amit Study: In December 2025, the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (an Israeli research group with ties to military intelligence) published a comprehensive study analyzing 266 Palestinians identified as journalists or media workers killed in Gaza. The study concluded that roughly 60% (157 out of 266) were members of or closely affiliated with terrorist groups, primarily Hamas (104) and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (45). It claimed at least 47 of these individuals served in active military wings.

•IDF Intelligence Disclosures: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has repeatedly claimed that individual high-profile journalists killed in airstrikes were active terror operatives. In several cases (including Al Jazeera's Hamza Al-Dahdouh and Ismail Al-Ghoul), the IDF released documents they claimed to have recovered in Gaza showing the individuals had military ranks or roles within Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

The Case Against the Claim (Press Watchdogs and Audits)

International press watchdogs—such as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF)—along with independent news organizations, have heavily scrutinized Israel’s claims.

•The September 2026 CPJ Audit: Press watchdogs do not include combatants in their casualty counts. In mid-2026, after Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad published military obituaries identifying some previously listed journalists as fallen combatants, the CPJ launched a full, audited review of its Gaza database. In September 2026, the CPJ removed 22 names (bringing the net total removed over the course of the war to 36) after establishing they had engaged in combat or did not meet the definition of a journalist.

•The Implication of the Audit: Even after this rigorous, self-correcting process, the CPJ concluded that Israel remained responsible for the deaths of 191 civilian journalists and media workers. This means that according to independent verification, the vast majority (roughly 85%) of the killed media workers had no combat role, directly contradicting the claim that a majority were active terrorists.

•Independent Investigations: Major media outlets have conducted forensic investigations into specific IDF claims. For example, a Washington Post investigation into the killing of Hamza Al-Dahdouh and Mustafa Thuria found "no indications" that they were operating as anything other than civilian journalists on the day they were killed.

•The "Legitimization" Unit: In August 2025, an investigation by +972 Magazine and Local Call reported that the IDF had established a specialized "Legitimization Cell" after October 7. The investigation, citing intelligence sources, alleged the unit was tasked with finding or retroactively producing links between killed Gazan journalists and militant groups to blunt international outrage and justify the strikes.

The Definitional Dispute: Combatants vs. Partisan Media

A major point of divergence in the data lies in how Israel and international watchdogs define "terrorist affiliation".

•Partisan Outlets: Around 30% of the journalists killed in Gaza worked for local media outlets affiliated with or controlled by Hamas (such as the Al-Aqsa media network).

•The Israeli Position: The IDF often treats anyone employed by these networks as a member of a terrorist organization and a legitimate target.

•The International Law Position: International humanitarian law and press freedom groups maintain that working for a state-run, partisan, or Hamas-funded propaganda outlet does not strip a journalist of civilian protection. Unless there is credible evidence that an individual directly participated in military hostilities or combat, they are legally considered civilians, and targeting them is a war crime.

Conclusion

While a proven minority of individuals originally identified as journalists were later verified to have been active combatants (leading to their removal from international press databases), there is no independent consensus or verified evidence supporting the claim that a majority of the Gazan journalists killed since October 7, 2023, were linked to terrorist organizations. Independent watchdogs maintain that the overwhelming majority of those killed were civilian media professionals.

Citations (13)

1timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
timesofisrael.com
Backs: “Israeli military intelligence and state-linked research bodies argue that a majority of those killed were affiliated with militant groups, whereas independent international press freedom watchdogs and major media investigations strongly dispute this, maintaining that the vast majority were civilian journalists.”
2wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “Israeli military intelligence and state-linked research bodies argue that a majority of those killed were affiliated with militant groups, whereas independent international press freedom watchdogs and major media investigations strongly dispute this, maintaining that the vast majority were civilian journalists.”
3jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
jpost.com
Backs: “Israeli military intelligence and state-linked research bodies argue that a majority of those killed were affiliated with militant groups, whereas independent international press freedom watchdogs and major media investigations strongly dispute this, maintaining that the vast majority were civilian journalists.”
4aipac.orgNonprofits and think tanks
aipac.org
Backs: “Israeli authorities and supportive research groups argue that terrorist organizations in Gaza systematically used journalistic credentials as a cover for military operations.”
5jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
jpost.com
Backs: “It claimed at least 47 of these individuals served in active military wings.”
6idf.ilGovernment
www.idf.il
Backs: “IDF Intelligence Disclosures: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has repeatedly claimed that individual high-profile journalists killed in airstrikes were active terror operatives.”
7facebook.comSocial media and video
facebook.com
Backs: “In several cases (including Al Jazeera's Hamza Al-Dahdouh and Ismail Al-Ghoul), the IDF released documents they claimed to have recovered in Gaza showing the individuals had military ranks or roles within Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.”
8cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cpj.org
Backs: “The September 2026 CPJ Audit: Press watchdogs do not include combatants in their casualty counts. In mid-2026, after Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad published military obituaries identifying some previously listed journalists as fallen combatants, the CPJ launched a full, audited review of its Gaza database.”
9lorientlejour.comNews and media
lorientlejour.com
Backs: “In September 2026, the CPJ removed 22 names (bringing the net total removed over the course of the war to 36) after establishing they had engaged in combat or did not meet the definition of a journalist. The Implication of the Audit: Even after this rigorous, self-correcting process, the CPJ concluded that Israel…”
10straitstimes.comNews and mediaquality 0.75
straitstimes.com
Backs: “The Implication of the Audit: Even after this rigorous, self-correcting process, the CPJ concluded that Israel remained responsible for the deaths of 191 civilian journalists and media workers. This means that according to independent verification, the vast majority (roughly 85%) of the killed media workers had no…”
11alquds.comNot yet classified
alquds.com
Backs: “For example, a Washington Post investigation into the killing of Hamza Al-Dahdouh and Mustafa Thuria found "no indications" that they were operating as anything other than civilian journalists on the day they were killed. The "Legitimization" Unit: In August 2025, an investigation by +972 Magazine and Local Call…”
12theguardian.comNews and mediaquality 0.75
theguardian.com
Backs: “The "Legitimization" Unit: In August 2025, an investigation by +972 Magazine and Local Call reported that the IDF had established a specialized "Legitimization Cell" after October 7. The investigation, citing intelligence sources, alleged the unit was tasked with finding or retroactively producing links between killed…”
13theguardian.comNews and mediaquality 0.75
theguardian.com
Backs: “Partisan Outlets: Around 30% of the journalists killed in Gaza worked for local media outlets affiliated with or controlled by Hamas (such as the Al-Aqsa media network). The Israeli Position: The IDF often treats anyone employed by these networks as a member of a terrorist organization and a legitimate target.”