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, depending on how "linked" is defined.

The debate centers on two highly divergent assessments: one from the Israeli government and aligned research groups, which define "linked" broadly to include employees of Hamas-controlled media and propaganda wings; and another from international press freedom groups, which define journalists according to international humanitarian law and have removed only verified active combatants from their casualty lists.

1. The Israeli Assessment: The "Majority" Claim

Israeli authorities and researchers argue that the majority of Gazan media workers killed in the conflict were either active militants or closely affiliated with terrorist groups.

•The Meir Amit Center Study: In a comprehensive study examining the identities of 266 media workers reported killed in Gaza between October 7, 2023, and November 30, 2025, the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (an Israeli research group) asserted that roughly 60% (157 individuals) were members of or clearly affiliated with terrorist organizations. Of these, they identified 104 linked to Hamas and 45 to Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).

•The IDF Positions: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released data identifying 170 individuals previously represented in Palestinian and international media as "civilian journalists" as actually being active operatives. The IDF has backed these claims with documents, military rosters, and propaganda materials seized during operations in Gaza, as well as official obituaries published by Hamas and PIJ.

•The Dual-Role Argument: Israel argues that Hamas and PIJ systematically use journalistic cover—including press vests and credentials—for military, intelligence, and propaganda operations. Under this view, individuals working for Hamas-run outlets (such as Al-Aqsa TV or Radio) are considered part of the terrorist organization's operational apparatus rather than independent journalists.

2. The International Press Freedom Watchdogs' Assessment

In contrast, international watchdogs—such as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF)—maintain that the vast majority of those killed were civilian journalists, though they have amended their databases after discovering that several individuals were combatants.

•The Definition of "Journalist" under International Law: Under International Humanitarian Law (IHL), journalists working for state-run, partisan, or even state-sponsored media outlets (including Hamas-affiliated networks) are legally classified as civilians. They do not lose their civilian protection unless they directly participate in hostilities. Therefore, international groups reject the Israeli methodology that automatically categorizes anyone working for Hamas-linked media as a legitimate military target.

•The 2026 CPJ Database Audit: In mid-2026, the CPJ launched a full-scale audit of its casualty list. This was prompted by Hamas and PIJ publishing official "martyr" obituaries for several individuals previously listed by the CPJ as journalists, revealing that they were, in fact, active commanders or combatants in their military wings.

•Audit Results: Following an external audit completed in September 2026, CPJ removed 22 names from its database. It determined that 19 of those individuals had actively engaged in combat, while three others were civilians who did not meet the definition of media workers.

•The Scale of Civilian Casualties: Even after removing these combatants, the CPJ, RSF, and the United Nations continue to assert that the vast majority of the approximately 190+ killed journalists in Gaza were civilians. They state that the Israel-Hamas war remains the deadliest conflict for journalists on record and have accused Israel of making broad, unsubstantiated terror accusations against legitimate Palestinian journalists to justify targeting them.

Summary

•Yes, if utilizing the Israeli government and Meir Amit Center's criteria, which classify any operative, propagandist, or employee of Hamas/PIJ-affiliated media as "linked" to terrorist organizations (accounting for roughly 60% of those killed).

•No, if utilizing international legal standards and the criteria of independent press watchdogs like the CPJ and RSF, which assert that while a small percentage (~10%) were retrospectively confirmed to be active combatants and removed from casualty lists, the vast majority were civilian media workers protected under international law.

Citations (11)

1timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
timesofisrael.com
Backs: “Whether a majority of the Gazan journalists killed since October 7, 2023, were linked to terrorist organizations is a subject of intense dispute, depending on how "linked" is defined.”
2wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.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, depending on how "linked" is defined.”
3jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
jpost.com
Backs: “The debate centers on two highly divergent assessments: one from the Israeli government and aligned research groups, which define "linked" broadly to include employees of Hamas-controlled media and propaganda wings; and another from international press freedom groups, which define journalists according to…”
4jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
jpost.com
Backs: “The debate centers on two highly divergent assessments: one from the Israeli government and aligned research groups, which define "linked" broadly to include employees of Hamas-controlled media and propaganda wings; and another from international press freedom groups, which define journalists according to…”
5jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
jpost.com
Backs: “The debate centers on two highly divergent assessments: one from the Israeli government and aligned research groups, which define "linked" broadly to include employees of Hamas-controlled media and propaganda wings; and another from international press freedom groups, which define journalists according to…”
6cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cpj.org
Backs: “The debate centers on two highly divergent assessments: one from the Israeli government and aligned research groups, which define "linked" broadly to include employees of Hamas-controlled media and propaganda wings; and another from international press freedom groups, which define journalists according to…”
7aipac.orgNonprofits and think tanks
aipac.org
Backs: “The Dual-Role Argument: Israel argues that Hamas and PIJ systematically use journalistic cover—including press vests and credentials—for military, intelligence, and propaganda operations. Under this view, individuals working for Hamas-run outlets (such as Al-Aqsa TV or Radio) are considered part of the terrorist…”
8jns.orgNews and mediaquality 0.78
jns.org
Backs: “Audit Results: Following an external audit completed in September 2026, CPJ removed 22 names from its database. It determined that 19 of those individuals had actively engaged in combat, while three others were civilians who did not meet the definition of media workers.”
9freepressunlimited.orgNot yet classified
freepressunlimited.org
Backs: “It determined that 19 of those individuals had actively engaged in combat, while three others were civilians who did not meet the definition of media workers. The Scale of Civilian Casualties: Even after removing these combatants, the CPJ, RSF, and the United Nations continue to assert that the vast majority of the…”
10instagram.comSocial media and video
instagram.com
Backs: “The Scale of Civilian Casualties: Even after removing these combatants, the CPJ, RSF, and the United Nations continue to assert that the vast majority of the approximately 190+ killed journalists in Gaza were civilians. They state that the Israel-Hamas war remains the deadliest conflict for journalists on record and…”
11cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cpj.org
Backs: “They state that the Israel-Hamas war remains the deadliest conflict for journalists on record and have accused Israel of making broad, unsubstantiated terror accusations against legitimate Palestinian journalists to justify targeting them. Summary”