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

Whether a majority of the Gazan journalists killed since October 7, 2023, were linked to terrorist organizations is a subject of intense dispute. The answer depends heavily on how "linked to" is defined, which data sources are utilized, and how international law is applied to media workers in conflict zones.

The debate is divided into two primary perspectives:

1. The Israeli Government and Intelligence Perspective: Yes, a majority had ties

Israeli military and intelligence bodies argue that a majority of the individuals identified as journalists killed in Gaza were active members of, or closely affiliated with, terrorist organizations.

•The Meir Amit Center Study (December 2025): The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (an Israeli think tank with close ties to the country's intelligence community) published an in-depth study analyzing 266 Palestinians identified as journalists or media workers killed in Gaza. The study concluded that about 60% (157 individuals) were members of or affiliated with terrorist organizations—primarily Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Of these, the study asserted that many held active operational, command, or propaganda roles.

•IDF Intelligence Database (October 2026): The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) published an online database claiming that at least 170 Gazans killed during the war who were publicly presented as journalists were actually military operatives. According to the military, 118 were active in Hamas’s military wing, 49 in Islamic Jihad, and others in smaller armed factions.

•The "Dual Role" Argument: This perspective argues that the lines between the press and militant groups are deeply blurred in Gaza. Because Hamas governs the Strip, many local media outlets (such as Al-Aqsa TV and Radio) are official propaganda wings of the organization. Pro-Israel analysts argue that individuals working for these outlets are fully integrated into the group’s terror infrastructure and should be viewed as hostile agents rather than independent journalists.

2. The Press Freedom and International Watchdog Perspective: No, the vast majority were legitimate civilians

International press freedom groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), reject the claim that a majority of the killed journalists were combatants or legitimate military targets.

•The International Legal Standard: Under international humanitarian law, journalists are considered civilians and are protected from direct attack, regardless of their political views or the partisan nature of the media outlet they work for. A journalist only loses civilian protection if they directly participate in hostilities (such as taking up arms or acting as an active combatant). Under this standard, working for a Hamas-run television station or writing partisan reports does not make a media worker a targetable combatant.

•Watchdog Reviews and Removals: Press freedom groups have demonstrated a willingness to update their data when credible evidence of military participation emerges. Following the publication of official military obituaries by Hamas and PIJ acknowledging certain "journalists" as combatants, the CPJ conducted a comprehensive review of its database in 2026. By September 2026, the CPJ had removed approximately 27 to 39 names from its list of slain journalists after confirming they had participated in combat or belonged to a militant group.

•The Majority Remain Verified: Despite these removals, the CPJ's verified database of slain journalists and media workers in Gaza still stands at over 190. The CPJ and other organizations maintain that the overwhelming majority of these individuals did not participate in combat and were killed while carrying out civilian journalistic work.

•Accusations of Flawed IDF Evidence: Human rights groups and independent investigators (such as Forbidden Stories) have accused the IDF of leveling unproven or exaggerated terror-link allegations to justify targeting the press. They have pointed to specific cases where IDF "evidence" of terror ties relied on highly questionable documents (such as an alleged Hamas roster claiming an Al Jazeera reporter held a military rank at age 10) or undated photos of journalists holding weapons.

Conclusion

Whether the majority of killed Gazan journalists were linked to terrorist organizations depends on the criteria used:

•If "linked to" is defined broadly to include any employment, political affiliation, or propaganda role with Hamas-run or Hamas-affiliated media networks, then studies indicate a significant portion (roughly 60%) of the casualties fall into this category.

•If "linked to" is defined strictly under international humanitarian law as being an active, armed combatant who directly participated in hostilities, international watchdogs maintain that only a small minority (around 10% to 15% of those initially reported) have been proven to fit this description, meaning the vast majority killed were protected civilians.

Citations (16)

1themedialine.orgNews and media
themedialine.org
Backs: “Whether a majority of the Gazan journalists killed since October 7, 2023, were linked to terrorist organizations is a subject of intense dispute.”
2washingtonpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
washingtonpost.com
Backs: “The answer depends heavily on how "linked to" is defined, which data sources are utilized, and how international law is applied to media workers in conflict zones.”
3wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “The answer depends heavily on how "linked to" is defined, which data sources are utilized, and how international law is applied to media workers in conflict zones.”
4thejc.comNews and mediaquality 0.51
thejc.com
Backs: “The Israeli Government and Intelligence Perspective: Yes, a majority had ties. Israeli military and intelligence bodies argue that a majority of the individuals identified as journalists killed in Gaza were active members of, or closely affiliated with, terrorist organizations.”
5timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
timesofisrael.com
Backs: “The Israeli Government and Intelligence Perspective: Yes, a majority had ties. Israeli military and intelligence bodies argue that a majority of the individuals identified as journalists killed in Gaza were active members of, or closely affiliated with, terrorist organizations.”
6timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
timesofisrael.com
Backs: “The Meir Amit Center Study (December 2025): The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (an Israeli think tank with close ties to the country's intelligence community) published an in-depth study analyzing 266 Palestinians identified as journalists or media workers killed in Gaza.”
7jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
jpost.com
Backs: “Of these, the study asserted that many held active operational, command, or propaganda roles. IDF Intelligence Database (October 2026): The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) published an online database claiming that at least 170 Gazans killed during the war who were publicly presented as journalists were actually military…”
8jewishinsider.comNews and media
jewishinsider.com
Backs: “Because Hamas governs the Strip, many local media outlets (such as Al-Aqsa TV and Radio) are official propaganda wings of the organization. Pro-Israel analysts argue that individuals working for these outlets are fully integrated into the group’s terror infrastructure and should be viewed as hostile agents rather than…”
9terrorism-info.org.ilNonprofits and think tanks
terrorism-info.org.il
Backs: “Because Hamas governs the Strip, many local media outlets (such as Al-Aqsa TV and Radio) are official propaganda wings of the organization. Pro-Israel analysts argue that individuals working for these outlets are fully integrated into the group’s terror infrastructure and should be viewed as hostile agents rather than…”
10facebook.comSocial media and video
facebook.com
Backs: “Pro-Israel analysts argue that individuals working for these outlets are fully integrated into the group’s terror infrastructure and should be viewed as hostile agents rather than independent journalists.”
11westpoint.eduAcademic
westpoint.edu
Backs: “The International Legal Standard: Under international humanitarian law, journalists are considered civilians and are protected from direct attack, regardless of their political views or the partisan nature of the media outlet they work for. A journalist only loses civilian protection if they directly participate in…”
12cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cpj.org
Backs: “Under this standard, working for a Hamas-run television station or writing partisan reports does not make a media worker a targetable combatant. Watchdog Reviews and Removals: Press freedom groups have demonstrated a willingness to update their data when credible evidence of military participation emerges.”
13apnews.comNews and mediaquality 1.00
apnews.com
Backs: “Watchdog Reviews and Removals: Press freedom groups have demonstrated a willingness to update their data when credible evidence of military participation emerges. Following the publication of official military obituaries by Hamas and PIJ acknowledging certain "journalists" as combatants, the CPJ conducted a…”
14commondreams.orgNews and mediaquality 0.54
commondreams.org
Backs: “The CPJ and other organizations maintain that the overwhelming majority of these individuals did not participate in combat and were killed while carrying out civilian journalistic work. Accusations of Flawed IDF Evidence: Human rights groups and independent investigators (such as Forbidden Stories) have accused the…”
15forbiddenstories.orgNot yet classified
forbiddenstories.org
Backs: “Accusations of Flawed IDF Evidence: Human rights groups and independent investigators (such as Forbidden Stories) have accused the IDF of leveling unproven or exaggerated terror-link allegations to justify targeting the press. They have pointed to specific cases where IDF "evidence" of terror ties relied on highly…”
16jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
jpost.com
Backs: “Conclusion. Whether the majority of killed Gazan journalists were linked to terrorist organizations depends on the criteria used: If "linked to" is defined broadly to include any employment, political affiliation, or propaganda role with Hamas-run or Hamas-affiliated media networks, then studies indicate a significant…”