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 contested question. The answer depends heavily on how "linked" is defined and which databases or investigations are referenced.

There is a significant disagreement between the Israeli government and intelligence services, which argue that a majority of the deceased media workers had ties to terror groups, and independent press freedom organizations, which assert that the vast majority were legitimate civilian journalists.

1. The Case for "Majority Linked" (Israeli Intelligence & Government Reports)

In late 2025, the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (a research group with close ties to Israeli military intelligence) published a comprehensive study examining the identities of 266 individuals identified as journalists or media workers killed in Gaza between October 7, 2023, and November 30, 2025.

The study concluded that roughly 60% (157 individuals) were members of or affiliated with terrorist organizations, primarily Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).

To reach this 60% figure, the study compiled evidence from seized Hamas documents, official military wing obituaries, and open-source Arabic social media. It categorized "links" into two main groups:

1.Active Combatants / Dual-Role Operatives: Individuals who held dual roles, serving as fighters, commanders, or intelligence officers in the armed wings of Hamas (such as the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades) or PIJ while also carrying press credentials. Some of these individuals were photographed wearing military uniforms, carrying weapons, or participating in the October 7 attacks.

2.Media Outlet Employees: Individuals employed by media networks directly operated or funded by Hamas or PIJ, such as the Al-Aqsa TV and Radio network, Al-Quds TV, or the Safa news agency. Israel classifies these networks as designated terrorist propaganda organizations rather than independent media.

Additionally, in September 2026, an investigation by the British newspaper The Telegraph scrutinized the BBC's reporting, alleging that 53 individuals described as journalists by the broadcaster had varying degrees of ties to Hamas and other militant groups (including several who were officially commemorated as "martyrs" or combatants by Hamas's military wing). This prompted the BBC to announce a review of its coverage.

2. The Case Against "Majority Linked" (Press Freedom Organizations)

Independent international press watchdogs, such as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), reject the claim that the majority of killed Gazan journalists were terrorists.

However, these organizations have faced scrutiny and have adjusted their databases when clear evidence of combat involvement emerged. Following the publication of military obituaries by Hamas and PIJ that identified several previously listed journalists as combatants, the CPJ conducted a major internal audit.

•The CPJ Audit (September 2026): CPJ completed a multi-phase review of its Gaza casualty database. As a result, they removed a net total of 36 individuals from their list of slain media workers. Of these, 27 were removed because subsequent research indicated they either participated in combat, were active militants, or did not meet the definition of a journalist.

•The Remaining Majority: Following these removals, CPJ’s verified list stood at 191 Palestinian journalists and media workers killed. CPJ maintains that the remaining 191 were civilian media workers and that Israeli forces are responsible for the vast majority of these deaths. By their metrics, only a small minority (roughly 10% of those they initially tracked) were confirmed as active militants or combatants.

3. The Core Disagreement: How "Linked" is Defined

The massive discrepancy between the 60% figure claimed by Israeli intelligence and the much lower numbers cited by press freedom groups comes down to differing interpretations of international humanitarian law:

•Under International Humanitarian Law (NGO Standard): Journalists working in conflict zones are considered civilians, regardless of their political views, affiliations, or the editorial line of the outlet they work for. Working for a state-run, partisan, or Hamas-affiliated media network does not strip a journalist of their civilian status. They only lose their protected civilian status if they take a direct part in hostilities (such as participating in active combat, transporting weapons, or carrying out military operations). Because of this, watchdogs like CPJ classify employees of Hamas-run media as civilian journalists unless concrete evidence proves they participated in combat.

•Under the Israeli Military/Intelligence Standard: Israel treats Hamas-affiliated media networks as direct operational arms of the terrorist organization. Therefore, any individual employed by these networks is categorized as "affiliated" with a terrorist group, even if they performed purely civilian journalistic roles (such as acting as a camera operator or local reporter).

Summary

•If "linked" is defined strictly as active combatants or individuals who directly participated in hostilities, independent audits show that a small minority (approximately 10% to 15%) of the identified journalists fell into this category.

•If "linked" is defined broadly to include civilian employment at Hamas-run or Hamas-affiliated media outlets, then reports from Israeli intelligence and independent media monitors argue that a majority (roughly 60%) of those killed meet the definition of being affiliated with or linked to these organizations.

Citations (14)

1timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
timesofisrael.com
Backs: “The Case for "Majority Linked" (Israeli Intelligence & Government Reports). In late 2025, the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (a research group with close ties to Israeli military intelligence) published a comprehensive study examining the identities of 266 individuals identified as journalists…”
2timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
timesofisrael.com
Backs: “To reach this 60% figure, the study compiled evidence from seized Hamas documents, official military wing obituaries, and open-source Arabic social media.”
3jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
jpost.com
Backs: “Active Combatants / Dual-Role Operatives: Individuals who held dual roles, serving as fighters, commanders, or intelligence officers in the armed wings of Hamas (such as the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades) or PIJ while also carrying press credentials.”
4israelnationalnews.comNews and mediaquality 0.72
israelnationalnews.com
Backs: “Some of these individuals were photographed wearing military uniforms, carrying weapons, or participating in the October 7 attacks.”
5israelhayom.comNot yet classified
israelhayom.com
Backs: “Some of these individuals were photographed wearing military uniforms, carrying weapons, or participating in the October 7 attacks.”
6algemeiner.comNews and mediaquality 0.77
algemeiner.com
Backs: “Media Outlet Employees: Individuals employed by media networks directly operated or funded by Hamas or PIJ, such as the Al-Aqsa TV and Radio network, Al-Quds TV, or the Safa news agency.”
7cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cpj.org
Backs: “Israel classifies these networks as designated terrorist propaganda organizations rather than independent media.”
8aipac.orgNonprofits and think tanks
aipac.org
Backs: “Israel classifies these networks as designated terrorist propaganda organizations rather than independent media.”
9wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “The Case Against "Majority Linked" (Press Freedom Organizations). Independent international press watchdogs, such as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), reject the claim that the majority of killed Gazan journalists were…”
10newsday.comNot yet classified
newsday.com
Backs: “However, these organizations have faced scrutiny and have adjusted their databases when clear evidence of combat involvement emerged.”
11jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
jpost.com
Backs: “However, these organizations have faced scrutiny and have adjusted their databases when clear evidence of combat involvement emerged.”
12timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
timesofisrael.com
Backs: “Following the publication of military obituaries by Hamas and PIJ that identified several previously listed journalists as combatants, the CPJ conducted a major internal audit.”
13drooid.socialNot yet classified
drooid.social
Backs: “The CPJ Audit (September 2026): CPJ completed a multi-phase review of its Gaza casualty database.”
14imemc.orgNews and media
imemc.org
Backs: “Under International Humanitarian Law (NGO Standard): Journalists working in conflict zones are considered civilians, regardless of their political views, affiliations, or the editorial line of the outlet they work for. Working for a state-run, partisan, or Hamas-affiliated media network does not strip a journalist of…”