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

This is a contested claim, and the answer depends heavily on the source.

The Israeli/pro-Israel position:
The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, an Israeli research institute, published a study asserting that a majority of Gaza-based journalists killed since the outbreak of the war were operatives in, or closely affiliated with, terrorist organizations, primarily Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, with at least 157 of them — roughly 60 percent — being members of terror groups or clearly affiliated with them, including 104 linked to Hamas and 45 to Islamic Jihad. The IDF has made a similar but more specific claim, releasing a database identifying 118 of those identified as members of Hamas' military wing, while 49 were members of PIJ, out of a reported 170 total. Separately, the Telegraph reported that 53 of the more than 180 people listed by BBC Arabic as journalists killed in the war had ties to Hamas or other terrorist groups.

The press-freedom/watchdog position:
Organizations like the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) dispute this framing and maintain much higher counts of journalists killed without classifying most as combatants. CPJ did conduct a review after militant groups made certain disclosures: CPJ conducted a full review of its database after Hamas and PIJ published obituaries identifying as combatants individuals previously listed by CPJ as journalists, ultimately removing eight names because they were later established to have been Hamas or PIJ combatants, with 12 more removed for other reasons. However, CPJ emphasized that it does not include anyone in its data sets if there is evidence they were engaging in combat, consistent with international humanitarian law, which considers journalists affiliated with non-state actors to be civilians provided they do not directly participate in hostilities. After this review, CPJ still counts the vast majority of deaths as journalists, not combatants — 209 individuals documented as journalists or media workers killed by Israel in Gaza as of June 25, 2026 (figures have since risen further, with CPJ citing 247 total across the broader regional conflict as of September 2026).

Why the numbers diverge so sharply:
The core disagreement is about methodology and evidence standards. The Meir Amit Center claims some killed were not only affiliated but served simultaneously as armed operatives in military units, and argues that media workers employed by Hamas-run or Hamas-affiliated outlets cannot be considered independent journalists. The IDF similarly built its case partly on the fact that it noticed a pattern in which Hamas and PIJ published martyrdom notices for slain "media workers" that acknowledged their service in the military wings, with much of the evidence written by the terrorists themselves. Critics counter that affiliation with a Hamas-run broadcaster, having once served in a military role, or even "double-hatting" historically doesn't necessarily equate to active combatant status at time of death — the legal distinction CPJ insists on.

Bottom line: There is no neutral, universally accepted figure. Israeli military and allied research bodies claim roughly 60% (or more specifically ~170 individuals) of those killed and labeled "journalists" were actually terrorist operatives. Press freedom organizations like CPJ dispute this large-scale reclassification and, after their own review process, still count the overwhelming majority of those killed as civilian journalists under international humanitarian law standards. Given the high political stakes on both sides, independent verification of individual cases remains difficult, and the "majority" claim should be treated as a disputed assertion from a specific pro-Israel research institute rather than an established, consensus fact.