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 used to define a "terrorist link" or "militant" and on who is conducting the assessment. Israeli military authorities and affiliated research centers claim that a majority of the casualties were indeed active operatives or affiliates of terror groups. Conversely, international press freedom watchdogs and human rights organizations strongly dispute this, maintaining that the vast majority of those killed were legitimate civilian media workers.

The evidence and arguments presented by both sides outline the core of this conflict:

The Israeli Claims: Yes, the Majority Had Terrorist Affiliations

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and pro-Israeli research groups claim that a majority of the individuals identified as journalists killed in Gaza were members of or affiliated with Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), or other armed factions.

•The IDF 2026 Database: In October 2026, the IDF published an online database alleging that 170 Palestinians killed in the war—who had been presented internationally as journalists—were actually active members of terror organizations. The IDF reported that 118 were active in Hamas’s military wing, 49 in PIJ, and others in smaller factions. They published civil IDs, military roster numbers, and documents recovered from Gaza to support these claims.

•The Meir Amit Center Study: In December 2025, the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (a research group with ties to the Israeli intelligence community) released a comprehensive study analyzing 266 Palestinians identified as journalists or media workers killed between October 7, 2023, and November 30, 2025. The study concluded that roughly 60% (157 individuals) were either active combatants, commanders, or affiliated with the propaganda wings of terrorist organizations (104 linked to Hamas and 45 to PIJ).

•The "Dual Identity" Argument: Israeli authorities argue that Hamas and PIJ systematically use press vests and journalistic credentials as "cover" for military operations, intelligence gathering, and propaganda warfare. They also claim that several Gazan photojournalists had advance knowledge of the October 7, 2023 attacks and crossed into Israel alongside militants.

The International Watchdogs' Position: No, the Vast Majority Were Civilians

International press freedom organizations—including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)—dispute Israel's broad characterization of Gazan journalists.

•The Distinction of "Combatants" vs. "Media Workers": Under international humanitarian law, journalists are considered civilians and are protected from targeted attacks. Faction-affiliated journalists (such as those working for Hamas-run outlets like Al-Aqsa TV or PIJ's Palestine Today) are still legally classified as civilians unless they take a direct, active part in military hostilities. Israeli assessments often classify anyone working for a Hamas-affiliated media outlet as a "terrorist", whereas international watchdogs do not unless there is verified proof of combat engagement.

•The CPJ Review and Removals: In mid-2026, after Hamas and PIJ published official martyr obituaries claiming several individuals previously listed as journalists as their military combatants, CPJ launched a comprehensive review of its database. In September 2026, CPJ removed 22 names from its database of killed journalists after finding credible evidence that they had actively engaged in combat. RSF also removed several names for similar reasons.

•The Rest of the Casualties: Even after removing those confirmed to have fought as combatants, CPJ still documented 191 Palestinian journalists and media workers killed in Gaza. Watchdogs emphasize that this remaining, overwhelming majority consisted of legitimate reporters, photojournalists, and camera operators—many of whom worked for independent or international outlets like Reuters, the Associated Press, and Al Jazeera—who were killed while performing their work.

Summary

•Israeli authorities and affiliated researchers argue that roughly 60% of those killed had documented ties to terrorist organizations, ranging from active combat roles to working within the groups' media propaganda wings.

•International watchdogs have verified that a small percentage (roughly 10%) of the initially reported journalist casualties were indeed active combatants and have removed them from press lists. However, they reject Israel's sweeping claims regarding the majority, accusing the IDF of attempting to "smear" legitimate reporters to justify the deadliest period for journalists in modern history.

Citations (19)

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.”
2boston25news.comNot yet classified
boston25news.com
Backs: “The answer depends entirely on the definitions used to define a "terrorist link" or "militant" and on who is conducting the assessment.”
3newlinesmag.comNot yet classified
newlinesmag.com
Backs: “The answer depends entirely on the definitions used to define a "terrorist link" or "militant" and on who is conducting the assessment.”
4thejc.comNews and mediaquality 0.51
thejc.com
Backs: “Israeli military authorities and affiliated research centers claim that a majority of the casualties were indeed active operatives or affiliates of terror groups.”
5timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
timesofisrael.com
Backs: “Israeli military authorities and affiliated research centers claim that a majority of the casualties were indeed active operatives or affiliates of terror groups.”
6cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cpj.org
Backs: “Conversely, international press freedom watchdogs and human rights organizations strongly dispute this, maintaining that the vast majority of those killed were legitimate civilian media workers.”
7latimes.comNews and mediaquality 0.85
latimes.com
Backs: “Conversely, international press freedom watchdogs and human rights organizations strongly dispute this, maintaining that the vast majority of those killed were legitimate civilian media workers.”
8hrvoices.orgNonprofits and think tanks
hrvoices.org
Backs: “The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and pro-Israeli research groups claim that a majority of the individuals identified as journalists killed in Gaza were members of or affiliated with Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), or other armed factions.”
9jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
jpost.com
Backs: “The "Dual Identity" Argument: Israeli authorities argue that Hamas and PIJ systematically use press vests and journalistic credentials as "cover" for military operations, intelligence gathering, and propaganda warfare. They also claim that several Gazan photojournalists had advance knowledge of the October 7, 2023…”
10aipac.orgNonprofits and think tanks
aipac.org
Backs: “The "Dual Identity" Argument: Israeli authorities argue that Hamas and PIJ systematically use press vests and journalistic credentials as "cover" for military operations, intelligence gathering, and propaganda warfare. They also claim that several Gazan photojournalists had advance knowledge of the October 7, 2023…”
11timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
timesofisrael.com
Backs: “They also claim that several Gazan photojournalists had advance knowledge of the October 7, 2023 attacks and crossed into Israel alongside militants.”
12wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “International press freedom organizations—including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)—dispute Israel's broad characterization of Gazan journalists. The Distinction of "Combatants" vs.”
13cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cpj.org
Backs: “"Media Workers": Under international humanitarian law, journalists are considered civilians and are protected from targeted attacks. Faction-affiliated journalists (such as those working for Hamas-run outlets like Al-Aqsa TV or PIJ's Palestine Today) are still legally classified as civilians unless they take a direct,…”
14wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “Faction-affiliated journalists (such as those working for Hamas-run outlets like Al-Aqsa TV or PIJ's Palestine Today) are still legally classified as civilians unless they take a direct, active part in military hostilities. Israeli assessments often classify anyone working for a Hamas-affiliated media outlet as a…”
15honestreporting.comNonprofits and think tanks
honestreporting.com
Backs: “Israeli assessments often classify anyone working for a Hamas-affiliated media outlet as a "terrorist", whereas international watchdogs do not unless there is verified proof of combat engagement.”
16jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
jpost.com
Backs: “The CPJ Review and Removals: In mid-2026, after Hamas and PIJ published official martyr obituaries claiming several individuals previously listed as journalists as their military combatants, CPJ launched a comprehensive review of its database. In September 2026, CPJ removed 22 names from its database of killed…”
17cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cpj.org
Backs: “In September 2026, CPJ removed 22 names from its database of killed journalists after finding credible evidence that they had actively engaged in combat. RSF also removed several names for similar reasons.”
18idf.ilGovernment
www.idf.il
Backs: “Watchdogs emphasize that this remaining, overwhelming majority consisted of legitimate reporters, photojournalists, and camera operators—many of whom worked for independent or international outlets like Reuters, the Associated Press, and Al Jazeera—who were killed while performing their work. Summary”
19cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cpj.org
Backs: “However, they reject Israel's sweeping claims regarding the majority, accusing the IDF of attempting to "smear" legitimate reporters to justify the deadliest period for journalists in modern history. 1.”