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

Short answer: No.

•Independent press‑freedom trackers have not found that most of the Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023 were members of armed groups. CPJ’s most recent review (September 24, 2026) re‑audited its database, removed 22 names in total and explicitly excludes anyone found to have participated in combat; that still leaves the large majority counted as journalists/media workers rather than combatants.[1]

•CPJ’s live casualty page (updated through 2026) documents hundreds of deaths across the region, including over 200 Palestinians in Gaza, and notes that eight individuals were removed after later evidence showed they had participated in hostilities—far short of a “majority.”[2]

•Claims that a majority had “terror ties” largely come from Israeli government–linked or advocacy groups (e.g., the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center’s ~60% estimate and HonestReporting’s “57%” figure). Those counts rely on broad criteria such as employment by Hamas‑ or PIJ‑run media and are not independently verified; CPJ and RSF have cautioned that official allegations frequently lack substantiating evidence.[3]

•Even the IDF has clarified that working for Hamas’s Al‑Aqsa media network does not, by itself, make an employee part of Hamas’s military wing, though some individuals have been identified as members—again, not a basis for saying “most.”[4]

Bottom line: While a subset of the deceased had documented or alleged affiliations, the best independent evidence available does not support the claim that a majority were linked to terrorist organizations.[1]

Citations (4)

1cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
CPJ completes review of journalists killed in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory - Committee to Protect Journalists
Backs: “CPJ’s most recent review (September 24, 2026) re‑audited its database, removed 22 names in total and explicitly excludes anyone found to have participated in combat; that still leaves the large majority counted as journalists/media workers rather than combatants.”
2cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Journalist casualties in the Israel-Gaza war - Committee to Protect Journalists
Backs: “CPJ’s live casualty page (updated through 2026) documents hundreds of deaths across the region, including over 200 Palestinians in Gaza, and notes that eight individuals were removed after later evidence showed they had participated in hostilities—far short of a “majority.””
3lawandisrael.orgNot yet classified
About 60% of the Gazans Classified as "Journalists" and Other Media Personnel Killed in the Gaza Strip War Belonged to Hamas and Other Terrorist Organizations
Backs: “CPJ and RSF have cautioned that official allegations frequently lack substantiating evidence.”
4idf.ilGovernment
June 25, 2024 IDF Clarification Regarding Claims on Targeting Journalists | IDF
Backs: “Even the IDF has clarified that working for Hamas’s Al‑Aqsa media network does not, by itself, make an employee part of Hamas’s military wing, though some individuals have been identified as members—again, not a basis for saying “most.””