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

This claim needs a fact-check — I'll gather casualty counts and affiliation data on journalists killed in Gaza since October 7th.

There is no single consensus figure. The answer depends on the definition of "linked" and of "journalist":

Two audits by Israeli-affiliated research groups claim a majority were linked; the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which maintains the most cited database, says only a minority were combatants and continues to count the remainder as journalists killed by Israel.

Claim that a majority were linked

•A December 2025 study by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center examined, name by name, Palestinians identified as journalists or media workers killed in Gaza and concluded that roughly 60% were members of or affiliated with terrorist organizations — primarily Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

•The study examined 266 media workers reported killed between Oct. 7, 2023, and Nov. 30, 2025, and found that 157 were members of or affiliated with terror groups. At least 47 belonged to Hamas's military wing and 45 were linked to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, including 18 confirmed operatives.

•The research was also described as: examined 266 media workers reported killed between October 7, 2023, and November 30, 2025. Of these, 157 — roughly 60% — were either members of terrorist groups or worked for outlets affiliated with them.

•Methodology included Arabic-language social media, Telegram channels, mourning notices, funeral footage, organizational statements and claims of responsibility and captured Hamas documents. A roster from Hamas' Gaza Brigade confirmed that eight individuals previously listed as unidentified journalists were actually Hamas members.

•An audit by media watchdog HonestReporting of CPJ's database reached a similar conclusion:

> An HonestReporting audit of CPJ's deceased Gaza journalist database showed that 57% of the individuals had ties to terrorism

> CPJ maintains a database of 209 Gazan media workers that were killed during the war with Hamas, but a review indicates that 120 of the individuals, or 57%, had terrorist ties.

•HonestReporting's breakdown within that 57%:

•25 (12%) had martyr posters and videos issued by terrorist organizations and related bodies

•61 listed individuals worked for news outlets affiliated with and controlled by terrorist organizations. Mohammed Al Sharafi worked for Al-Aqsa TV, which in 2010 was designated by the US Treasury for being financed and controlled by Hamas

This counts as "affiliated" anyone who worked for Hamas or PIJ-controlled media outlets (Al-Aqsa TV has been a US Treasury Specially Designated Global Terrorist since 2010), or who was eulogized as a "mujahid" / martyr by a terror group, even if not a proven active combatant.

CPJ's official position - not a majority

CPJ initially listed over 220 names, but after Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad published obituaries identifying some of those previously listed as journalists as combatants, it launched a review.

•It removed eight names from its database after they were established to be Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives, and removed 12 others for separate reasons.

•In a later September 2025 update, it said 19 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire who it had previously identified as journalists or media workers were actually militants or participants in combat. After a review of its tally, it says Israeli forces have killed 191 Palestinian journalists and media workers since the start of the war in Gaza.

•In total since the Oct. 7 attack, CPJ has removed a total of 27 people from its list of slain journalists after finding that they participated in combat or belonged to a militant group. It removed another nine for other reasons.

For CPJ, membership in a military media unit or employment by a Hamas-affiliated outlet alone was not proof of combatant status. It initially did not consider membership in a military media unit alone as proof of engagement in combat, but has since revised its criteria to exclude "anyone with active membership of any military arm of a state or non-state actor".

Under that narrower definition - direct participation in hostilities or active membership in a military wing - CPJ says about 12-13% of its original list were militants, not a majority.

Israel denies targeting journalists and has said a number of slain journalists were members of Hamas or other armed groups posing as reporters.

Citations (4)

1algemeiner.comNews and mediaquality 0.77
Group Behind Gaza Press Death Toll Quietly Removes Hamas and Islamic Jihad Fighters From Its List
Backs: “The study examined 266 media workers reported killed between Oct. 7, 2023, and Nov. 30, 2025, and found that 157 were members of or affiliated with terror groups.”
2tps.co.ilGovernment
» ‘Dual Roles Undermine Trust in Media’: Most Journalists Killed in Gaza Had Terror Ties, Study Finds
Backs: “The research was also described as: examined 266 media workers reported killed between October 7, 2023, and November 30, 2025.”
3honestreporting.comNonprofits and think tanks
Audit of CPJ Gaza Journalists Database Shows Over Half Linked to Terrorism | HonestReporting
Backs: “A roster from Hamas' Gaza Brigade confirmed that eight individuals previously listed as unidentified journalists were actually Hamas members. An audit by media watchdog HonestReporting of CPJ's database reached a similar conclusion:”
4lapost.comNot yet classified
Rights group says some people it classified as journalists killed in Gaza were militants
Backs: “In a later September 2025 update, it said 19 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire who it had previously identified as journalists or media workers were actually militants or participants in combat. After a review of its tally, it says Israeli forces have killed 191 Palestinian journalists and media workers since the…”