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

Short answer: No. Independent press‑freedom groups have not found evidence that a majority of Gaza’s journalists killed since October 7, 2023 were members of terrorist organizations. CPJ’s running database (regularly reviewed and corrected) documents hundreds of journalists and media workers killed in the war, and says it removes names if credible evidence later shows someone was a combatant; CPJ also reports that many Israeli claims about the dead being “terrorists” lack sufficient verifiable proof.[1]

What the “majority” claims are based on:

•The Israeli military’s “Press Files” and an Israeli research institute (Meir Amit/ITIC) assert that more than half—about 170 individuals or roughly 60%—of the Gazans counted as journalists had militant ties. These figures come from Israeli intelligence assessments and cross‑referencing with Hamas/PIJ materials, not from independent press‑freedom monitors.[2]

How independent organizations view those claims:

•CPJ says posthumous terrorist designations offered by the IDF have generally come without sufficient, reliable evidence, and emphasizes that labeling a reporter a “terrorist” does not by itself strip their civilian protection under international humanitarian law.[3]

•RSF has, in at least one case, verified that a person initially counted as a journalist was in fact a Hamas member and removed him from its list—illustrating that isolated cases exist, but not a majority.[4]

•The Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association has cautioned newsrooms not to repeat the IDF’s new lists without independent verification.[5]

Important nuance:

•Some of the journalists killed worked for Hamas‑run or Hamas‑aligned outlets (for example, Al‑Aqsa). One independent analysis estimated roughly 30% had such workplace affiliations—far short of a “majority,” and not the same as being a militant. Under the laws of war, journalists remain civilians unless they directly participate in hostilities.[6]

Bottom line: The “majority were terrorists” narrative rests on government/aligned sources and has not been corroborated by independent monitoring groups; available independent reporting points to some cases of affiliation, but not a majority.[1]

Citations (6)

1cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
CPJ undertakes review of its documentation of journalists killed in Israel-Gaza war since 2023 - Committee to Protect Journalists
Backs: “CPJ also reports that many Israeli claims about the dead being “terrorists” lack sufficient verifiable proof.”
2idf.ilGovernment
Background Does the IDF Target Journalists in Gaza? 170 Gazan Journalists Exposed as Terrorists | IDF
Backs: “These figures come from Israeli intelligence assessments and cross‑referencing with Hamas/PIJ materials, not from independent press‑freedom monitors.”
3cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
CPJdocumentation
Backs: “CPJ says posthumous terrorist designations offered by the IDF have generally come without sufficient, reliable evidence, and emphasizes that labeling a reporter a “terrorist” does not by itself strip their civilian protection under international humanitarian law.”
4rsf.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Israel/Palestine war: 41 journalists, more than one a day, killed in first month of Israel-Palestine war | RSF
Backs: “RSF has, in at least one case, verified that a person initially counted as a journalist was in fact a Hamas member and removed him from its list—illustrating that isolated cases exist, but not a majority.”
5ameja.orgNot yet classified
AMEJA - On IDF Claims Used to Justify Targeting Journalists
Backs: “The Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association has cautioned newsrooms not to repeat the IDF’s new lists without independent verification.”
6theguardian.comNews and mediaquality 0.75
‘The grey zone’: how IDF views some journalists in Gaza as legitimate targets | Israel-Gaza war | The Guardian
Backs: “Under the laws of war, journalists remain civilians unless they directly participate in hostilities.”