Were a majority of the Gazan journalists killed since October 7th, 2023 linked to terrorist organizations?
Short answer: No.
•What independent monitors say: After a formal review, the Committee to Protect Journalists reported on September 24, 2026 that 19 Palestinians it had previously listed as journalists or media workers killed in Gaza were in fact militants or direct participants in combat, and it has removed a total of 27 such cases since October 7, 2023. That is a small fraction—not a majority—of the more than 200 Palestinian journalists and media workers CPJ has documented as killed during the war.[1]
•Where the “majority” claim comes from: The Israel Defense Forces and the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center have asserted that over half of those presented as Gaza “journalists” were actually members of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or other groups (for example, an IDF release on October 1, 2026 listing 170 names). These are government or government‑aligned claims and, as of now, have not been independently verified by CPJ or RSF.[2]
•Context on “links”: RSF and CPJ note that employment by or proximity to a political faction or its media arm does not by itself make someone a combatant; under international humanitarian law, journalists are civilians unless they directly participate in hostilities.[3]
Bottom line: The best independent, reviewed data available does not support the claim that a majority of Gazan journalists killed since October 7, 2023 were linked to terrorist organizations. Claims to the contrary come from Israeli military and affiliated research bodies and remain disputed and unverified by neutral press‑freedom groups.[1]
Backs: “That is a small fraction—not a majority—of the more than 200 Palestinian journalists and media workers CPJ has documented as killed during the war.”
Backs: “RSF and CPJ note that employment by or proximity to a political faction or its media arm does not by itself make someone a combatant; under international humanitarian law, journalists are civilians unless they directly participate in hostilities.”