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

Short answer: No, that “majority” claim isn’t supported by independent press‑freedom monitors.

What the best‑established watchdogs say

•After auditing its database this summer and again in September 2026, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) removed 27 names it had previously counted—people it concluded were militants or otherwise participated in combat—but it still counts the rest as journalists or media workers killed since October 7, 2023. That implies a minority, not a majority, had militant ties.[1]

•Associated Press coverage of CPJ’s review notes that, even after those removals, CPJ’s figures attribute most of the journalist/media‑worker deaths to Israeli forces; again, only “some” of the previously listed individuals were later identified as militants.[2]

•RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has repeatedly cautioned that Israeli accusations labeling Gaza reporters as “terrorists” are often unsubstantiated and, even if a journalist has political affiliations, that does not by itself strip them of civilian protections unless they directly participate in hostilities.[3]

Where the “majority” claim comes from

•An Israeli government‑aligned research center (the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center) published studies asserting roughly 60% of people identified as Gaza “journalists/media personnel” killed since Oct. 7 were members of or affiliated with Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or other groups. Those studies rely on Hamas‑run casualty lists, alleged “captured documents,” and treat employment at Hamas‑ or PIJ‑affiliated outlets as a “terror link.” These findings are cited by sympathetic outlets but have not been independently verified by neutral monitors.[4]

Bottom line

•Independent monitors (CPJ, RSF) do not find that a majority of Gazan journalists killed since Oct. 7, 2023 had terrorist ties; their latest reviews indicate a smaller subset were militants and were removed from the rolls. The “majority” framing comes from Israeli‑aligned analyses that use broader criteria for “links” and a different universe of who counts as a “journalist.”[1]

If useful, I can show a side‑by‑side of the differing definitions (who is a “journalist,” what counts as a “link”) that drive these conflicting conclusions.

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: “After auditing its database this summer and again in September 2026, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) removed 27 names it had previously counted—people it concluded were militants or otherwise participated in combat—but it still counts the rest as journalists or media workers killed since October 7, 2023.…”
2apnews.comNews and mediaquality 1.00
Rights group says some people it classified as journalists killed in Gaza were militants
Backs: “Associated Press coverage of CPJ’s review notes that, even after those removals, CPJ’s figures attribute most of the journalist/media‑worker deaths to Israeli forces; again, only “some” of the previously listed individuals were later identified as militants.”
3rsf.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Ismail al-Ghoul's killing: targeted and discredited, Palestinian journalists suffer double punishment in Gaza | RSF
Backs: “RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has repeatedly cautioned that Israeli accusations labeling Gaza reporters as “terrorists” are often unsubstantiated and, even if a journalist has political affiliations, that does not by itself strip them of civilian protections unless they directly participate in hostilities.”
4terrorism-info.org.ilNonprofits and think tanks
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 - The Amit Terrorism and Intelligence Research Institute
Backs: “Those studies rely on Hamas‑run casualty lists, alleged “captured documents,” and treat employment at Hamas‑ or PIJ‑affiliated outlets as a “terror link.” These findings are cited by sympathetic outlets but have not been independently verified by neutral monitors.”