Were a majority of the Gazan journalists killed since October 7th, 2023 linked to terrorist organizations?
Short answer: No.
Why: Independent press‑freedom monitors have not found that most Gaza-based journalists killed since October 7, 2023 were members of terrorist groups. In a comprehensive audit published September 24, 2026, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) removed 19 people it had initially listed after evidence showed they were militants or had participated in hostilities, but it still counts roughly 191 Palestinian journalists and media workers killed by Israeli fire. CPJ’s policy is to exclude anyone found to be engaging in combat from its database.[1]
Where the “majority” claim comes from: An Israeli research institute (the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center) issued reports asserting that about 60% of those it tallied as “journalists and other media personnel” killed through November 30, 2025 were members of or affiliated with Hamas/PIJ. Those findings rely on broad notions of “affiliation,” include people beyond journalists, and have not been independently verified by CPJ or Reporters Without Borders (RSF).[2]
Bottom line: Some cases involved militants and were removed by CPJ, but there is no reliable, independent evidence that a majority of Gaza’s slain journalists were linked to terrorist organizations.[1]
Citations (2)
- CPJ completes review of journalists killed in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory - Committee to Protect Journalists
Backs: “CPJ’s policy is to exclude anyone found to be engaging in combat from its database.”
- 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: “Those findings rely on broad notions of “affiliation,” include people beyond journalists, and have not been independently verified by CPJ or Reporters Without Borders (RSF).”