Were a majority of the Gazan journalists killed since October 7th, 2023 linked to terrorist organizations?
Yes, according to the most detailed available name-by-name analysis, a majority (roughly 60%) of those identified as Gazan journalists or media workers killed since October 7, 2023, had links to terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).[1]
The primary source is a December 2025 study (updating an earlier February 2024 report) by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC, also referred to as the Amit Institute), an Israeli research body affiliated with the intelligence community. It examined 266 individuals reported as journalists or media personnel killed in Gaza between October 7, 2023, and November 30, 2025 (drawing from Hamas government media office lists of ~256, plus other reports; international groups like RSF and CPJ have cited figures around 220+ at various points).[2]
Key findings from the ITIC study:
This aligns with earlier ITIC findings (e.g., ~60% of 131 names as of early 2024) and has been corroborated in part by later events. Hamas and PIJ have published obituaries and names of fallen military operatives that include individuals previously identified (and listed by watchdogs) solely as journalists or media workers, confirming dual roles in some cases (e.g., military media units or fighters).[5][6]
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has revised its database in response to such information: it removed at least eight names after they were established as Hamas or PIJ combatants (plus others for different reasons) and conducted a broader review, stating it excludes those who engaged in combat. CPJ maintains that affiliation alone does not disqualify someone as a journalist under its criteria or IHL (as long as they do not directly participate in hostilities), and it continues to document high numbers of Palestinian media deaths attributed primarily to Israeli forces. Critics have argued CPJ’s lists initially included many with terror ties.[7]
Context and Counterpoints
In summary, the ITIC’s comprehensive examination—the main public name-by-name effort using open and seized sources—concludes that a majority were linked (as members, operatives, or via group media). Subsequent confirmations from the terrorist groups themselves and database corrections by CPJ lend support. Claims of a pure “war on journalists” are complicated by these affiliations and the nature of media under Hamas rule, though this does not preclude that genuine journalists have also been killed amid intense urban fighting. Figures and classifications remain contested along partisan lines.
Citations (8)
- https://www.timesofisrael.com/majority-of-journalists-killed-in-gaza-linked-to-terror-organizations-study-says/
Backs: “Yes, according to the most detailed available name-by-name analysis, a majority (roughly 60%) of those identified as Gazan journalists or media workers killed since October 7, 2023, had links to terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).”
- https://www.thejc.com/news/israel/most-gazan-journalists-killed-idf-links-terror-x81ahi2c
Backs: “It examined 266 individuals reported as journalists or media personnel killed in Gaza between October 7, 2023, and November 30, 2025 (drawing from Hamas government media office lists of ~256, plus other reports; international groups like RSF and CPJ have cited figures around 220+ at various points).”
- https://t.co/J1DuaXdDLy
Backs: “Some held dual roles as armed operatives or in military media/propaganda units while presenting as journalists.”
- https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-880082
Backs: “The study notes Hamas’s systematic use of media for propaganda, incitement, and information warfare, with blurred lines between press and militant roles in Gaza (where Hamas has governed and controlled much of the media landscape).”
- https://www.timesofisrael.com/finally-naming-their-war-dead-gazan-terror-groups-admit-slain-journalists-were-fighters/
Backs: “Hamas and PIJ have published obituaries and names of fallen military operatives that include individuals previously identified (and listed by watchdogs) solely as journalists or media workers, confirming dual roles in some cases (e.g., military media units or fighters).”
- https://www.terrorism-info.org.il/en/the-disclosure-of-the-names-of-fallen-military-operatives-by-hamas-and-the-palestinian-islamic-jihad-confirms-the-amit-institutes-research-findings-on-the-double-roles-of-journalists-in-the-gaza/
Backs: “Hamas and PIJ have published obituaries and names of fallen military operatives that include individuals previously identified (and listed by watchdogs) solely as journalists or media workers, confirming dual roles in some cases (e.g., military media units or fighters).”
- https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-900853
Backs: “Critics have argued CPJ’s lists initially included many with terror ties.”
- https://thenational.shorthandstories.com/gaza-israel-war-journalists-killed
Backs: “Working for a Hamas-linked outlet or holding political views does not automatically make someone a legitimate target.”