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

I'll investigate journalists killed in Gaza since October 7 and check for reported ties to armed groups.

According to Israeli military and Israeli research institutes and pro-Israel watchdog reviews, a majority were.

•The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center 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.

•The same findings were summarized as: The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center analyzed 266 Palestinians identified as journalists or media workers killed in Gaza between October 2023 and late November 2025 and concluded that about 60% had roles in Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or other armed factions.

•The Israel Defense Forces said that 170 Palestinians killed during the Gaza war and publicly identified as journalists or media workers were actually members of terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

•The IDF breakdown was listed as 118 tied to Hamas's military wing, 49 to Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

•After scrutiny, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) - the New York-based group behind the most cited press death toll - removed names.

•CPJ announced the results of its audit reducing its list to 191: 22 individuals were removed: 19 for participating in hostilities and three for failing to meet CPJ's definition of a journalist.

•An independent review of the remaining CPJ list by the Israeli media watchdog HonestReporting found that a majority remained linked:

•Of the 191 Gazan journalists on CPJ's list, 102 were found in a preliminary audit to have connections to terrorist groups.

•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. This represents 53 percent.

Other reviews found lower proportions in specific subsets, but still highlighted substantial ties:

•An investigation by the UK's Telegraph newspaper examined a BBC Arabic report listing more than 180 journalists killed during the war and found that 53 of those named had ties to Hamas or other terrorist groups - about 29% of that BBC list.

CPJ itself has said journalists affiliated with non-state actors remain civilians under international humanitarian law as long as they do not directly participate in hostilities, and that it does not include anyone when there is evidence they were engaged in combat - a definition disputed by the Israeli findings.

Citations (4)

1algemeiner.comNews and mediaquality 0.77
Group Behind Gaza Press Death Toll Quietly Removes Hamas and Islamic Jihad Fighters From Its List
Backs: “According to Israeli military and Israeli research institutes and pro-Israel watchdog reviews, a majority were. The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center published a 140-page study in December examining, name by name, Palestinians identified as journalists or media workers killed in Gaza, and…”
2srnnews.comNot yet classified
The Media Line: Study Says Up to 60% of Gaza War Journalists Killed Were Affiliated with Terrorist Groups - SRN News
Backs: “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. The same findings were summarized as: The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center analyzed 266 Palestinians identified as…”
3particle.newsNews and media
IDF Publishes 170-Name Database Saying Named Gaza ‘Journalists’ Were Militant Operatives
Backs: “The Israel Defense Forces said that 170 Palestinians killed during the Gaza war and publicly identified as journalists or media workers were actually members of terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.”
4honestreporting.comNonprofits and think tanks
CPJ Audits List of Dead Gazan Journalist – More Than Half Still Have Terrorist Ties
Backs: “After scrutiny, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) - the New York-based group behind the most cited press death toll - removed names. CPJ announced the results of its audit reducing its list to 191: 22 individuals were removed: 19 for participating in hostilities and three for failing to meet CPJ's definition…”