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 subject of intense dispute, with the answer depending heavily on which organization’s definitions and investigations are used.

No independent, international press freedom organization or human rights group has found that a majority of the killed journalists were linked to terrorist organizations. However, the Israeli government, military, and affiliated intelligence groups assert that a majority did have such ties.

The division comes down to different investigations, database audits, and varying legal definitions of what constitutes a "link" to a terrorist group.

1. The Israeli Claim: The 60% Affiliation Figure

Israeli military intelligence and pro-Israel monitoring groups argue that a majority of the individuals identified as journalists killed in Gaza were members of or affiliated with Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).

•The Meir Amit Study: A comprehensive study published by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (which is closely linked to Israeli military intelligence) examined the identities of 266 individuals killed in Gaza between October 7, 2023, and November 30, 2025, who had been publicly identified as journalists. The study asserted that at least 157 of them (roughly 60%) were members of or clearly affiliated with terrorist groups—including 104 linked to Hamas and 45 to PIJ.

•The "Dual Identity" Argument: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has argued that Hamas and other militant groups systematically use press vests and journalistic credentials as a cover for combat operations, propaganda, and intelligence gathering. The IDF has released seized documents and photographs to argue that several high-profile reporters (such as Al Jazeera's Anas al-Sharif and others) were concurrently serving as active military commanders or rocket-cell operatives.

•Affiliation via Media Outlets: Israel also classifies individuals working for Hamas-run or affiliated media networks (such as the Al-Aqsa TV and radio network) as members of a terrorist organization.

2. The Press Freedom and International Watchdog Perspective

Global press freedom watchdogs—including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)—strongly reject the assertion that a majority of the slain media workers were militants.

•The CPJ 2026 Comprehensive Audit: Following revelations that some individuals initially listed as journalists were later claimed as combatants in obituaries published by Hamas and PIJ, the CPJ launched an internal review and commissioned an external audit in mid-2026.

•In September 2026, the CPJ updated its criteria to strictly exclude any individual who was an active member of the military wing of a state or non-state armed group.

•As a result of this audit, the CPJ removed a net total of 36 individuals from its list of slain journalists (with 27 removed specifically for participating in combat or belonging to a militant group's armed wing).

•However, even after these removals, the CPJ's rigorously verified database concluded that at least 191 Palestinian journalists and media workers killed since October 7, 2023, were legitimate, civilian journalists. Under this verified list, the vast majority (nearly 85%) of those killed had no active military or combatant ties.

•Criticism of Israeli Claims: Watchdogs and independent investigations (such as those by The Guardian and +972 Magazine) have accused the Israeli military of running "legitimization" campaigns and using unverified or flimsy evidence to retroactively paint civilian reporters as terrorists in order to blunt international outrage over the unprecedented death toll of media workers.

3. The Core Disagreement: Defining a "Link"

The fundamental divergence in numbers stems from how a "link" or "affiliation" to Hamas is defined under international law versus Israeli military policy:

•Under International Humanitarian Law (IHL): Working for a politically affiliated, state-owned, or partisan media outlet (even one run by a designated terrorist organization like Hamas) does not strip a journalist of their civilian status. Under IHL, journalists are protected civilians unless they take direct part in hostilities (e.g., picking up a weapon or acting as a combatant). Press watchdogs like the CPJ and RSF apply this standard, classifying Hamas-employed civilian reporters as protected journalists, not legitimate military targets.

•Under Israeli Policy: The Israeli government often treats the entirety of Hamas's governance—including its civilian administrators, civil servants, and media employees—as an indivisible part of a single terrorist enterprise, thereby classifying anyone employed by Hamas-affiliated media networks as a terrorist operative.

Summary

While independent press watchdogs have acknowledged that a minority of individuals initially reported as "slain journalists" were indeed active combatants (leading to the removal of dozens of names from global lists), independent audits conclude that the vast majority of the Gazan journalists killed were civilian media workers. The claim that a majority were linked to terrorist organizations relies heavily on a broad definition used by the Israeli military that equates political employment or administrative affiliation with active militancy.

Citations (12)

1wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “No independent, international press freedom organization or human rights group has found that a majority of the killed journalists were linked to terrorist organizations. However, the Israeli government, military, and affiliated intelligence groups assert that a majority did have such ties.”
2timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
timesofisrael.com
Backs: “No independent, international press freedom organization or human rights group has found that a majority of the killed journalists were linked to terrorist organizations. However, the Israeli government, military, and affiliated intelligence groups assert that a majority did have such ties.”
3jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
jpost.com
Backs: “The division comes down to different investigations, database audits, and varying legal definitions of what constitutes a "link" to a terrorist group.”
4lorientlejour.comNews and media
lorientlejour.com
Backs: “The division comes down to different investigations, database audits, and varying legal definitions of what constitutes a "link" to a terrorist group.”
5theguardian.comNews and mediaquality 0.75
theguardian.com
Backs: “The "Dual Identity" Argument: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has argued that Hamas and other militant groups systematically use press vests and journalistic credentials as a cover for combat operations, propaganda, and intelligence gathering. The IDF has released seized documents and photographs to argue that several…”
6aipac.orgNonprofits and think tanks
aipac.org
Backs: “The "Dual Identity" Argument: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has argued that Hamas and other militant groups systematically use press vests and journalistic credentials as a cover for combat operations, propaganda, and intelligence gathering. The IDF has released seized documents and photographs to argue that several…”
7timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
timesofisrael.com
Backs: “The IDF has released seized documents and photographs to argue that several high-profile reporters (such as Al Jazeera's Anas al-Sharif and others) were concurrently serving as active military commanders or rocket-cell operatives. Affiliation via Media Outlets: Israel also classifies individuals working for Hamas-run…”
8youtube.comSocial media and video
youtube.com
Backs: “The IDF has released seized documents and photographs to argue that several high-profile reporters (such as Al Jazeera's Anas al-Sharif and others) were concurrently serving as active military commanders or rocket-cell operatives. Affiliation via Media Outlets: Israel also classifies individuals working for Hamas-run…”
9youtube.comSocial media and video
youtube.com
Backs: “The Press Freedom and International Watchdog Perspective. Global press freedom watchdogs—including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)—strongly reject the assertion that a majority of the slain media workers were militants.…”
10straitstimes.comNews and mediaquality 0.75
straitstimes.com
Backs: “The CPJ 2026 Comprehensive Audit: Following revelations that some individuals initially listed as journalists were later claimed as combatants in obituaries published by Hamas and PIJ, the CPJ launched an internal review and commissioned an external audit in mid-2026. In September 2026, the CPJ updated its criteria to…”
11cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cpj.org
Backs: “The CPJ 2026 Comprehensive Audit: Following revelations that some individuals initially listed as journalists were later claimed as combatants in obituaries published by Hamas and PIJ, the CPJ launched an internal review and commissioned an external audit in mid-2026. In September 2026, the CPJ updated its criteria to…”
122news.comNot yet classified
2news.com
Backs: “As a result of this audit, the CPJ removed a net total of 36 individuals from its list of slain journalists (with 27 removed specifically for participating in combat or belonging to a militant group's armed wing). However, even after these removals, the CPJ's rigorously verified database concluded that at least 191…”