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

Both sidesSays it is contestedSources conflict

Israeli sources (Meir Amit Center, IDF) claim a majority of killed Gaza journalists were tied to Hamas/PIJ, while a Palestinian researcher and press freedom groups say the evidence is weak or misrepresented.

This is a highly contested claim with conflicting evidence from different sources. Here's what the searches reveal:

The claim itself

Israeli sources support this assertion. A study by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center asserts that a majority of Gaza-based journalists killed since the outbreak of the current war were operatives in, or closely affiliated with, terrorist organizations — primarily Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Specifically, the study examined the identities of 266 individuals identified as journalists or media workers killed in Gaza between October 7, 2023, and November 30, 2025, and found at least 157 of them — roughly 60 percent — were members of terror groups or clearly affiliated with them, including 104 linked to Hamas and 45 to Islamic Jihad.

Separately, the IDF released its own "Press Files" database in October 2026, identifying 170 Gazans the world mourned as slain journalists, by name, military ID number and captured Hamas paperwork, as members of terrorist organizations, with 118 served in Hamas's military wing and 49 in Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). The IDF noted seventeen took part in the October 7 massacre, and the deaths of more than 40 of them drew condemnations of Israel from the United Nations.

Some admissions came from the terror groups themselves: the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) conducted a full review of its database after Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) published obituaries identifying as combatants individuals previously listed by CPJ as journalists. As a result, CPJ removed eight names from its "Killed" database because they were later established to have been members of Hamas or PIJ.

Why this claim is disputed

Press freedom organizations and independent reviewers push back strongly:

1.CPJ's standard differs: CPJ has always been clear that it does not include anyone in its data sets if there is evidence they were engaging in combat or inciting imminent violence, consistent with international humanitarian law, which considers journalists affiliated with non-state actors to be civilians, provided they do not directly participate in hostilities. This means "affiliation" alone (e.g., past training, family ties, or employment by a Hamas-linked outlet) isn't equivalent to being an active combatant.

2.Evidence quality is contested: A Palestinian analyst who reviewed the IDF's list found that in 59 cases, the IDF did not provide any evidence for its claim that a journalist was a member of Hamas or PIJ other than that the claim was "based on multiple intelligence sources". In at least one case, the IDF's evidence outright debunks the military's own claims — a photojournalist labeled a "military operative" was shown in a 2019 Hamas document only as a "photographer" involved with "media services".

3.Press freedom groups reject the framing: RSF stated in December 2025 that "To justify its crimes, the Israeli military has mounted a global propaganda campaign to spread baseless accusations that portray Palestinian journalists as terrorists."

4.Media outlets dispute specific cases: When the IDF named Al Jazeera journalists as Hamas members, Al Jazeera called the material "fabricated evidence".

Bottom line

The claim that "a majority" were linked to terror groups comes primarily from Israeli government and pro-Israel research sources (IDF, Meir Amit Center), which rely heavily on Hamas/PIJ's own martyrdom notices and captured documents. Some of this evidence has been corroborated — notably when terror groups themselves claimed certain journalists as fighters, leading CPJ to remove some names. However, independent reviewers argue many of the IDF's claims lack verifiable evidence, conflate past affiliation with active combat status, or are "undated photos" alleging participation without clear context. There is no independent, universally accepted verification of the 60% figure — it remains an assertion from Israeli sources, disputed by press freedom organizations and some of the outlets whose staff were named.

Citations (12)

1timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
Majority of journalists killed in Gaza linked to terror organizations, study says
Source excerpt: “A new study by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center asserts that a majority of Gaza-based journalists killed since the outbreak...”
attribution, article, points to yes. Claim: Meir Amit Center study asserts a majority of Gaza-based journalists killed were operatives in or affiliated with terrorist organizations.
2timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
Majority of journalists killed in Gaza linked to terror organizations, study says
Source excerpt: “The study (Hebrew link), published Thursday, examined the identities of 266 individuals identified as journalists or media workers killed in Gaza betw...”
statistic, article, points to yes. Claim: Study examined 266 individuals killed through November 2025 and found at least 157 (about 60%) were members of or affiliated with terror groups.
3israel365news.comNews and mediaquality 0.42
Press Vests and Kalashnikovs: IDF Names 170 Gaza 'Journalists' Who Served Hamas and Islamic Jihad - Israel365 News
Source excerpt: “Abu Odeh is one of 170 Gazans the world mourned as slain journalists whom the IDF has now identified, by name, military ID number and captured Hamas p...”
evidence, article, points to yes. Claim: IDF identified 170 Gazans mourned as journalists as members of terrorist organizations, by name, military ID number and captured Hamas paperwork.
4israel365news.comNews and mediaquality 0.42
Press Vests and Kalashnikovs: IDF Names 170 Gaza 'Journalists' Who Served Hamas and Islamic Jihad - Israel365 News
Source excerpt: “Of the 170 names, 118 served in Hamas’s military wing and 49 in Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). ”
statistic, article, points to yes. Claim: Of the 170 names, 118 served in Hamas's military wing and 49 in PIJ.
5israel365news.comNews and mediaquality 0.42
Press Vests and Kalashnikovs: IDF Names 170 Gaza 'Journalists' Who Served Hamas and Islamic Jihad - Israel365 News
Source excerpt: “Seventeen took part in the October 7 massacre, and the IDF said the deaths of more than 40 of them drew condemnations of Israel from the United Nation...”
statistic, article, points to yes. Claim: Seventeen took part in the October 7 massacre, and over 40 deaths drew UN condemnations of Israel.
6jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
Press watchdog CPJ reviewing Gaza casualty database over 'journalists' tied to Hamas, PIJ
Source excerpt: “The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is conducting a full review of its database of journalists killed during the Israel-Hamas War after Hamas a...”
evidence, article, points to yes. Claim: CPJ reviewed its database after Hamas and PIJ published obituaries identifying previously listed journalists as combatants.
7jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
Press watchdog CPJ reviewing Gaza casualty database over 'journalists' tied to Hamas, PIJ
Source excerpt: “Consistent with this documentation approach, CPJ has removed eight names from its “Killed” database because they were later established to have been m...”
statistic, article, points to yes. Claim: CPJ removed eight names from its Killed database because they were later established to be Hamas or PIJ members.
8hollywoodreporter.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
Press Freedom Group Reviews Gaza Killed Journalists Database
Source excerpt: ““CPJ has always been clear that we do not include anyone in our data sets if there is evidence that they were engaging in combat or inciting imminent ...”
attribution, article, points to no. Claim: CPJ does not include anyone in its data sets if there is evidence of combat or incitement, per international humanitarian law.
9commondreams.orgNews and mediaquality 0.54
Palestinian Researcher Dismantles Israel's List of So-Called 'Terrorist' Journalists Slain in Gaza
Source excerpt: “In 59 cases, Shehada found that the IDF did not provide any evidence for its claim that a journalist was a member of Hamas or PIJ other than that the ...”
evidence, article, points to no. Claim: In 59 cases the IDF gave no evidence beyond 'multiple intelligence sources' for claiming a journalist was a Hamas or PIJ member.
10commondreams.orgNews and mediaquality 0.54
Palestinian Researcher Dismantles Israel's List of So-Called 'Terrorist' Journalists Slain in Gaza
Source excerpt: “In other cases, the IDF’s evidence outright debunks the military’s own claims. For instance, Israel labeled photojournalist Hassan Aslih—killed by an ...”
evidence, article, points to no. Claim: In at least one case the IDF's own evidence undermines its claim, showing a photojournalist only as a photographer in media services.
11allisraelnews.comNews and media
Gaza terror groups reveal multiple 'journalists' among their dead fighters
Source excerpt: “All Israel Gaza terror groups reveal multiple 'journalists' among their dead fighters # Gaza terror groups reveal multiple 'journalists' among their...”
evidence, article, points to yes. Claim: Terror groups themselves named journalists among their dead fighters, corroborating some of the claims.
12israel365news.comNews and mediaquality 0.42
Press Vests and Kalashnikovs: IDF Names 170 Gaza 'Journalists' Who Served Hamas and Islamic Jihad - Israel365 News
Source excerpt: “In October 2024, the IDF published captured personnel tables, training-course lists and salary records naming six of the network’s Gaza reporters, inc...”
evidence, article, points to yes. Claim: IDF published captured personnel tables, training lists and salary records naming Gaza reporters as affiliated with Hamas.