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 international dispute. The answer depends entirely on the definitions of "journalist" and "terrorist link" used by the opposing sides, as well as the credibility of the evidence presented.

Two primary, conflicting narratives exist: one from Israeli intelligence and military researchers, and another from independent international press freedom watchdogs.

1. The Israeli Perspective: The "Majority" Claim (60%)

Israeli military researchers and think tanks argue that a majority of those identified as journalists killed in Gaza were indeed linked to terrorist organizations, either as active military operatives or as employees of propaganda outlets run by these groups.

•The Meir Amit Center Study: In December 2025, the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (a prominent Israeli research institute with close ties to the defense establishment) published a comprehensive study. It analyzed the identities of 266 Palestinians killed in Gaza who had been publicly listed as journalists or media workers.

•The Findings: The study concluded that about 60% (157 individuals) were members of or closely affiliated with terrorist groups, primarily Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).

•According to their breakdown, 104 were Hamas members (including 47 in its military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades) and 45 were PIJ members.

•Methodology and Definition: The center defined "terrorist links" using two criteria:

1.Direct membership in a terrorist group or its military wing.

2.Employment in media outlets owned and operated directly by these groups, such as Hamas’s Al-Aqsa TV or Islamic Jihad's Voice of Al-Quds radio.

•The IDF's Allegations: Throughout the conflict, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released seized documents, personnel tables, salary slips, and rosters to argue that several high-profile Palestinian journalists—including several working for Al Jazeera—were active Hamas or PIJ military commanders and operatives.

2. The Press Freedom and Human Rights Perspective: The "Minority" Claim

Independent international organizations, such as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and Amnesty International, heavily dispute the claim that a majority of killed journalists were affiliated with terror groups. They accuse Israel of using broad, unproven, or retroactively fabricated allegations to justify targeting media workers.

•CPJ’s Definition and Methodology: CPJ and other groups base their definitions on International Humanitarian Law (IHL). Under IHL, journalists are classified as civilians and are protected from targeted attacks. Working for state-owned, partisan, or even militant-affiliated media (like Al-Aqsa TV) does not strip an individual of their civilian protection unless they are actively participating in hostilities or combat.

•The 2026 CPJ Database Review: In June 2026, Hamas and PIJ published official obituaries claiming several individuals previously listed by CPJ as journalists as their own "combatants." In response, CPJ conducted a comprehensive review of 229 cases of killed media workers, which was verified by an external audit.

•The Findings: In September 2026, CPJ concluded its review. They removed 22 individuals from their database because newly obtained evidence confirmed 19 were combatants and 3 were non-journalist civilians.

•The Conclusion: Despite these removals, CPJ verified that the vast majority (nearly 90% of the cases they analyzed) were legitimate journalists and civilians. As of late 2026, CPJ confirmed that at least 191 journalists and media workers had been killed in the conflict, reaffirming that Gaza remained one of the deadliest conflicts for journalists in history.

Summary of the Core Disagreement

Whether a majority of the killed journalists had "terrorist links" depends on the standard applied:

•Under Israel’s security standard: Yes. Anyone working for Hamas-run media channels, holding political affiliations, or alleged in IDF intelligence to have dual roles is classified as "linked to terror," amounting to roughly 60% of the casualties.

•Under International Humanitarian Law and independent press freedom standards: No. Only those who directly participate in military hostilities are considered combatants. Independent audits show that while a small portion of the casualties (around 8–10%) were later confirmed to be active combatants and removed from journalist counts, the overwhelming majority were civilian media workers protected under international law.

Citations (18)

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 international dispute.”
2timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
timesofisrael.com
Backs: “The answer depends entirely on the definitions of "journalist" and "terrorist link" used by the opposing sides, as well as the credibility of the evidence presented.”
3newlinesmag.comNot yet classified
newlinesmag.com
Backs: “The answer depends entirely on the definitions of "journalist" and "terrorist link" used by the opposing sides, as well as the credibility of the evidence presented.”
4thejc.comNews and mediaquality 0.51
thejc.com
Backs: “The Meir Amit Center Study: In December 2025, the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (a prominent Israeli research institute with close ties to the defense establishment) published a comprehensive study.”
5ground.newsData and toolsquality 0.77
ground.news
Backs: “According to their breakdown, 104 were Hamas members (including 47 in its military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades) and 45 were PIJ members.”
6ynetnews.comNews and mediaquality 0.80
ynetnews.com
Backs: “Direct membership in a terrorist group or its military wing.”
7tps.co.ilGovernment
tps.co.il
Backs: “Employment in media outlets owned and operated directly by these groups, such as Hamas’s Al-Aqsa TV or Islamic Jihad's Voice of Al-Quds radio.”
8fdd.orgNot yet classified
fdd.org
Backs: “The IDF's Allegations: Throughout the conflict, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released seized documents, personnel tables, salary slips, and rosters to argue that several high-profile Palestinian journalists—including several working for Al Jazeera—were active Hamas or PIJ military commanders and operatives.”
9idf.ilGovernment
www.idf.il
Backs: “The IDF's Allegations: Throughout the conflict, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released seized documents, personnel tables, salary slips, and rosters to argue that several high-profile Palestinian journalists—including several working for Al Jazeera—were active Hamas or PIJ military commanders and operatives.”
10youtube.comSocial media and video
youtube.com
Backs: “The Press Freedom and Human Rights Perspective: The "Minority" Claim. Independent international organizations, such as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and Amnesty International, heavily dispute the claim that a majority of killed journalists were affiliated with terror…”
11youtube.comSocial media and video
youtube.com
Backs: “They accuse Israel of using broad, unproven, or retroactively fabricated allegations to justify targeting media workers. CPJ’s Definition and Methodology: CPJ and other groups base their definitions on International Humanitarian Law (IHL).”
12cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cpj.org
Backs: “CPJ’s Definition and Methodology: CPJ and other groups base their definitions on International Humanitarian Law (IHL). Under IHL, journalists are classified as civilians and are protected from targeted attacks.”
13freepressunlimited.orgNot yet classified
freepressunlimited.org
Backs: “Under IHL, journalists are classified as civilians and are protected from targeted attacks. Working for state-owned, partisan, or even militant-affiliated media (like Al-Aqsa TV) does not strip an individual of their civilian protection unless they are actively participating in hostilities or combat.”
14cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cpj.org
Backs: “Working for state-owned, partisan, or even militant-affiliated media (like Al-Aqsa TV) does not strip an individual of their civilian protection unless they are actively participating in hostilities or combat. The 2026 CPJ Database Review: In June 2026, Hamas and PIJ published official obituaries claiming several…”
15cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cpj.org
Backs: “The 2026 CPJ Database Review: In June 2026, Hamas and PIJ published official obituaries claiming several individuals previously listed by CPJ as journalists as their own "combatants." In response, CPJ conducted a comprehensive review of 229 cases of killed media workers, which was verified by an external audit. The…”
16jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
jpost.com
Backs: “They removed 22 individuals from their database because newly obtained evidence confirmed 19 were combatants and 3 were non-journalist civilians. The Conclusion: Despite these removals, CPJ verified that the vast majority (nearly 90% of the cases they analyzed) were legitimate journalists and civilians.”
17lorientlejour.comNews and media
lorientlejour.com
Backs: “The Conclusion: Despite these removals, CPJ verified that the vast majority (nearly 90% of the cases they analyzed) were legitimate journalists and civilians. As of late 2026, CPJ confirmed that at least 191 journalists and media workers had been killed in the conflict, reaffirming that Gaza remained one of the…”
18lorientlejour.comNews and media
lorientlejour.com
Backs: “As of late 2026, CPJ confirmed that at least 191 journalists and media workers had been killed in the conflict, reaffirming that Gaza remained one of the deadliest conflicts for journalists in history. ---. Summary of the Core Disagreement”