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" is defined and which sources are evaluated.

There are two primary, conflicting perspectives on this issue: one held by the Israeli military and Israeli-aligned intelligence centers, and another held by international press freedom organizations, legal experts, and investigative journalists.

1. The Israeli Perspective: The "60%" Affiliation Claim

The Israeli government, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and Israeli-aligned think tanks assert that a majority of the individuals identified as journalists killed in Gaza were members of or closely affiliated with terrorist groups.

•The Meir Amit Center Study: A comprehensive study published by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center examined the identities of 266 individuals killed between October 7, 2023, and late 2025 who were publicly listed as journalists or media workers. The study concluded that roughly 60% (157 individuals) were members of or clearly affiliated with terror groups—primarily Hamas (104) and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (45).

•Active Combatants vs. Media Personnel: The IDF has frequently presented physical and digital evidence (such as Hamas personnel rosters recovered during ground operations) alleging that several prominent journalists "double-hatted" as active military operatives. The IDF claims these individuals served as snipers, rocket-launching commanders, or military propaganda officers while using "Press" vests as cover.

•Institutional Affiliation: A core argument of the Israeli perspective is that individuals employed by Hamas-run or Hamas-affiliated media networks—such as the Al-Aqsa Media Network or Al-Rai Radio—cannot be considered independent civilian journalists. Because Hamas is a designated terrorist organization that tightly controls these outlets, Israel views their employees as part of Hamas's political-military apparatus.

2. The Media Watchdog and International Law Perspective

In contrast, international press freedom watchdogs like the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and international legal experts strongly dispute the claim that the majority of those killed were legitimate military targets.

•The Distinction Under International Law: Under international humanitarian law, civilian journalists—even those working for state-owned, biased, or propaganda-producing media outlets—are classified as civilians. They do not lose their civilian protections unless they directly participate in hostilities (e.g., carrying weapons or engaging in combat operations). Legal experts argue that simply being on the payroll of a Hamas-run television station or radio station does not make a media worker a combatant.

•IDF’s Permissive Targeting Standards: Investigative reports, including a joint project by The Guardian and the non-profit Forbidden Stories, revealed that some within the IDF applied a highly permissive interpretation of the laws of war. They reported that IDF personnel often viewed "anyone getting paid by Hamas" (including civilian cameramen, drivers, and reporters for local networks) as legitimate targets. Further investigations by Hebrew-language outlet Local Call and +972 Magazine alleged that a special "legitimization cell" was set up within the IDF to retroactively search for links to militant groups to justify the killings of media staff and blunt international outrage.

3. CPJ’s 2026 Database Audit

In mid-2026, the debate shifted when Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) published military obituaries celebrating several deceased individuals—whom CPJ and others had previously listed as civilian journalists—as active combatants and brigade commanders within their military wings.

In response to this, the CPJ launched a comprehensive audit of its casualty database.

•Database Revisions: In late September 2026, CPJ concluded its audit and removed 22 individuals from its list of killed journalists after verifying that they had engaged in active combat or did not meet the definition of a journalist.

•The Final Tally: Even after these removals, CPJ maintained that the overwhelming majority of the journalists killed in Gaza—standing at over 190—were civilian media workers. CPJ reiterated its policy: while it strictly excludes any individual who participates in hostilities, it continues to include civilian journalists who worked for Hamas-affiliated media outlets, because they remain protected civilians under international law.

Summary

While Israeli intelligence and military sources argue that 60% of the killed Gazan journalists were "linked" to terror organizations, this figure largely relies on a broad definition of "linkage" that includes civilian employees of Hamas-run media outlets.

International watchdogs and legal experts reject this broad classification, maintaining that while a small percentage of those killed were indeed later confirmed to be active combatants (and subsequently removed from journalistic databases), the vast majority of the casualties were civilian media workers protected under international law.

Citations (13)

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.”
2youtube.comSocial media and video
youtube.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.”
3jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
jpost.com
Backs: “The Israeli Perspective: The "60%" Affiliation Claim. The Israeli government, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and Israeli-aligned think tanks assert that a majority of the individuals identified as journalists killed in Gaza were members of or closely affiliated with terrorist groups.”
4israeltoday.co.ilNot yet classified
israeltoday.co.il
Backs: “The Meir Amit Center Study: A comprehensive study published by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center examined the identities of 266 individuals killed between October 7, 2023, and late 2025 who were publicly listed as journalists or media workers.”
5ynetnews.comNews and mediaquality 0.80
ynetnews.com
Backs: “Media Personnel: The IDF has frequently presented physical and digital evidence (such as Hamas personnel rosters recovered during ground operations) alleging that several prominent journalists "double-hatted" as active military operatives. The IDF claims these individuals served as snipers, rocket-launching…”
6aipac.orgNonprofits and think tanks
aipac.org
Backs: “The IDF claims these individuals served as snipers, rocket-launching commanders, or military propaganda officers while using "Press" vests as cover. Institutional Affiliation: A core argument of the Israeli perspective is that individuals employed by Hamas-run or Hamas-affiliated media networks—such as the Al-Aqsa…”
7timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
timesofisrael.com
Backs: “Institutional Affiliation: A core argument of the Israeli perspective is that individuals employed by Hamas-run or Hamas-affiliated media networks—such as the Al-Aqsa Media Network or Al-Rai Radio—cannot be considered independent civilian journalists. Because Hamas is a designated terrorist organization that tightly…”
8theguardian.comNews and mediaquality 0.75
theguardian.com
Backs: “Because Hamas is a designated terrorist organization that tightly controls these outlets, Israel views their employees as part of Hamas's political-military apparatus.”
9arabnews.comNews and mediaquality 0.48
arabnews.com
Backs: “The Media Watchdog and International Law Perspective. In contrast, international press freedom watchdogs like the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and international legal experts strongly dispute the claim that the majority of those killed were legitimate military targets. The…”
10jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
jpost.com
Backs: “They do not lose their civilian protections unless they directly participate in hostilities (e.g., carrying weapons or engaging in combat operations). Legal experts argue that simply being on the payroll of a Hamas-run television station or radio station does not make a media worker a combatant.”
11cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cpj.org
Backs: “They do not lose their civilian protections unless they directly participate in hostilities (e.g., carrying weapons or engaging in combat operations). Legal experts argue that simply being on the payroll of a Hamas-run television station or radio station does not make a media worker a combatant.”
12theguardian.comNews and mediaquality 0.75
theguardian.com
Backs: “Further investigations by Hebrew-language outlet Local Call and +972 Magazine alleged that a special "legitimization cell" was set up within the IDF to retroactively search for links to militant groups to justify the killings of media staff and blunt international outrage. ---. 3.”
13instagram.comSocial media and video
instagram.com
Backs: “Database Revisions: In late September 2026, CPJ concluded its audit and removed 22 individuals from its list of killed journalists after verifying that they had engaged in active combat or did not meet the definition of a journalist. The Final Tally: Even after these removals, CPJ maintained that the overwhelming…”