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

Leans yesSays it is contested

Checking casualty figures and affiliation reports for journalists in Gaza — I'll verify what investigations say about alleged militant links.

According to Israeli military and Israeli-affiliated research institutes, a majority were.

•The Israel Defense Forces published a database in October 2025-2026 identifying 170 Gazans killed during the war who were presented as journalists but were in fact serving in terrorist organizations

•The IDF breakdown was given as 118 tied to Hamas's military wing, 49 to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, two to the Popular Resistance Committees and one to another group, or similarly 118 members of Hamas's military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, 49 members of Islamic Jihad. The IDF said 17 individuals on the list even took part in the Hamas-led invasion on Oct. 7, 2023.

•The IDF said its evidence includes internal documents produced by the terrorist organizations themselves, records recovered by Israeli troops inside Gaza, photographs and other intelligence material and cited records from the terrorist groups themselves and evidence recovered by Israeli troops

This claim is expanded in a study cited by multiple outlets:

•The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center examined 266 media workers reported killed between October 7, 2023, and November 30, 2025. Of these, 157 — roughly 60% — were either members of terrorist groups or worked for outlets affiliated with them

•The institute published a 140-page study in December examining, name by name, Palestinians identified as journalists or media workers killed in Gaza, and concluded that roughly 60% were members of or affiliated with terrorist organizations — primarily Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad

•The study examined 266 media workers reported killed between Oct. 7, 2023, and Nov. 30, 2025, and found that 157 were members of or affiliated with terror groups. At least 47 belonged to Hamas's military wing and 45 were linked to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, including 18 confirmed operatives.

This figure - 157 of 266 (~59-60%) and 170 of the totals cited by the Gaza Government Media Office (which has cited totals of 261 or 211, 220-256) would constitute a majority.

A review of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) database is also cited to support a majority figure:

•CPJ listed 209 journalists and media workers killed by Israel in Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023 attack, and recorded 190 media workers. After criticism, CPJ announced a review and said it had removed eight names after they were established to be Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives.

•In its later audit, CPJ ultimately removed 19 terrorists and 3 other fake journalists from the list, but reinstated 4 others [...] That leaves a total of 191 supposed Gazan journalists on the CPJ's rejiggered database—102 of whom still have demonstrable "connections to terrorist groups," according to an independent review of the CPJ audit performed by the Israeli media watchdog group HonestReporting

•HonestReporting concluded: "Although the CPJ review removed almost two dozen individuals who participated in combat [...] 53 percent of those still listed have terrorist ties" and that more than half the names on the embattled Committee to Protect Journalists' revised list [...] "have connections to terrorist groups,"

•A Washington Free Beacon audit similarly claimed CPJ still includes at least 120 names linked to Hamas and other terror factions on its widely cited list of "journalists" killed in Gaza, [...] well over half the names on the 209-person list

Context and dispute:

•These majority figures come from the IDF and from the Meir Amit Center and from HonestReporting, an Israeli media watchdog. Their methodology is described as examining Arabic-language social media, Telegram channels, mourning notices, funeral footage, organizational statements and Hamas payroll and membership records and cross-referencing martyr posters, photos, and Hamas payroll and membership records.

•International press-freedom groups dispute the methodology. CPJ has said its process requires at least two independent sources before someone is added as a journalist, and that journalists affiliated with non-state actors remain civilians under international humanitarian law as long as they do not directly participate in hostilities. CPJ and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) maintain the war is the deadliest for journalists since tracking began, and have accused Israel of failing to provide conclusive evidence for some individual cases.

In summary: If using the IDF's 170-name dossier and the Meir Amit Center's 266-name study (157/266 = ~60%), the answer is yes - a majority were found to be members of or affiliated with Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other groups. Those findings have not been independently verified by international organizations and remain contested.

Citations (5)

1algemeiner.comNews and mediaquality 0.77
IDF Reveals 170 Gaza ‘Journalists’ Were Terror Operatives, Escalating Scrutiny of Wartime Media Death Toll
Backs: “Checking casualty figures and affiliation reports for journalists in Gaza — I'll verify what investigations say about alleged militant links. According to Israeli military and Israeli-affiliated research institutes, a majority were. The Israel Defense Forces published a database in October 2025-2026 identifying 170…”
evidence, article, points to yes. Claim: IDF published a database identifying 170 Gazans presented as journalists who were allegedly serving in terrorist organizations, mostly Hamas and PIJ.
2tps.co.ilGovernment
‘Dual Roles Undermine Trust in Media’: Most Journalists Killed in Gaza Had Terror Ties, Study Finds
Backs: “The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center examined 266 media workers reported killed between October 7, 2023, and November 30, 2025.”
statistic, article, points to yes. Claim: Meir Amit Center examined 266 media workers killed and found 157, roughly 60%, were members of or affiliated with terrorist groups.
3algemeiner.comNews and mediaquality 0.77
Group Behind Gaza Press Death Toll Quietly Removes Hamas and Islamic Jihad Fighters From Its List
Backs: “The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center examined 266 media workers reported killed between October 7, 2023, and November 30, 2025. Of these, 157 — roughly 60% — were either members of terrorist groups or worked for outlets affiliated with them. The institute published a 140-page study in December…”
statistic, article, points to yes. Claim: Meir Amit study found 157 of 266 killed media workers were members of or affiliated with terrorist groups; CPJ removed some names from its list.
4evrimagaci.orgLow provenance
Journalists Killed In Gaza Spark Global Outcry For Press Freedom
Backs: “A review of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) database is also cited to support a majority figure:”
background, article, neutral. Claim: A CPJ database review is cited to support a majority figure; press-freedom groups dispute the methodology and Israel's evidence.
5substack.comBlogs and newsletters
More Than Half the Names on Committee to Protect Journalists List of Slain Gaza Journalists Are Still Linked to Terror Outfits Despite Group’s Self-Policing ‘Audit’
Backs: “After criticism, CPJ announced a review and said it had removed eight names after they were established to be Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives. In its later audit, CPJ ultimately removed 19 terrorists and 3 other fake journalists from the list, but reinstated 4 others [...] That leaves a total of 191…”
evidence, article, points to yes. Claim: Free Beacon audit claims CPJ's list still includes at least 120 names linked to Hamas and other terror factions, over half of 209.