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

This is a genuinely contested claim, with the answer depending heavily on which source you trust. Here's the evidence on both sides:

The claim that a majority were linked to terror groups

This claim comes primarily from Israeli sources (the IDF and Israeli research institutes), not from independent, neutral verification:

•Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (an Israeli think tank with ties to former intelligence officials) published a study claiming it examined 266 individuals identified as journalists or media workers killed in Gaza between October 7, 2023, and November 30, 2025, finding at least 157 of them — roughly 60 percent — were members of terror groups or clearly affiliated with them, including 104 linked to Hamas and 45 to Islamic Jihad. The center said its conclusions are based on public records, Palestinian media reports, and Hamas documents seized by the Israel Defense Forces during ground operations in Gaza.

•In October 2026, the IDF itself released a database claiming 170 Palestinians killed in Gaza during the war who were presented internationally as journalists or media workers but who the military says also served as members of terrorist organizations, primarily Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. It said 118 of the 170 were members of Hamas' military wing, 49 belonged to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, with evidence drawn from documents and materials captured during military operations, plus information the terror organizations themselves published.

Why this claim is disputed

Press freedom organizations and independent researchers have pushed back hard:

•CPJ (Committee to Protect Journalists) has explicitly called on Israel to stop making unproven claims that journalists slain by its forces are terrorists, noting that even before the war, CPJ had documented Israel's pattern of accusing journalists of being terrorists without producing credible evidence, and that Israel has used questionable and sometimes contradictory evidence to label journalists as militants.

•When CPJ did conduct an internal review in response to pressure, it ultimately removed 22 people from its list, including some it found had participated in combat—but retained others despite militant obituaries, gun photos, or past organizational ties when the evidence did not establish active combatant status. That means CPJ's own audit found far short of a "majority" — it reduced its count by 22 out of roughly 200+, not by over half.

•A Palestinian political analyst who reviewed the IDF's list reviewed every single entry on the list and called it "the most sloppy shameless fraud possible", and an investigative piece noted the evidence presented includes empty pages, clearly edited documents, and unverifiable snippets (headline description).

•Other bodies tracking journalist deaths, like the International Federation of Journalists, have described Israel's war in Gaza as "the deadliest period in the history of journalism" and cataloged at least 240 journalists and media workers killed without accepting the IDF's terrorist-affiliation framing.

•Specific high-profile cases remain contested — for example, Al Jazeera's Anas al-Sharif was killed by Israel which claimed he was a Hamas operative, an allegation rejected by Al Jazeera and the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Bottom line

No single independent, neutral verification confirms that a majority of journalists killed were terrorists. The "majority linked to terror groups" figure originates from the IDF and allied Israeli research institutes, using evidence (captured documents, alleged affiliations) that the IDF itself selected and interpreted, and which international press freedom organizations like CPJ have specifically contested as insufficiently substantiated. Conversely, CPJ's own review found far fewer than a majority warranted removal from its list. Given that the primary sources for the "majority" claim are a party to the conflict (the IDF) and allied advocacy/research groups, while independent press-freedom organizations dispute both the methodology and conclusions, this is better characterized as a contested claim pushed primarily by Israeli government and allied sources, rather than an established, independently verified fact.

Citations (12)

1timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
Majority of journalists killed in Gaza linked to terror organizations, study says
Source excerpt: “The study (Hebrew link), published Thursday, examined the identities of 266 individuals identified as journalists or media workers killed in Gaza betw...”
2timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
Majority of journalists killed in Gaza linked to terror organizations, study says
Source excerpt: “The center said its conclusions are based on public records, Palestinian media reports, and Hamas documents seized by the Israel Defense Forces during...”
3ynetnews.comNews and mediaquality 0.80
IDF names 170 slain Gaza ‘journalists’ it says served in Hamas, Islamic Jihad
Source excerpt: “The IDF on Thursday published the names of 170 Palestinians killed in Gaza during the war who were presented internationally as journalists or media w...”
4ynetnews.comNews and mediaquality 0.80
IDF names 170 slain Gaza ‘journalists’ it says served in Hamas, Islamic Jihad
Source excerpt: “The IDF said 118 of the 170 were members of Hamas’ military wing, 49 belonged to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, one was affiliated with Adonei HaShma”
5timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
IDF documents terror affiliations of 170 Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza war
Source excerpt: ““Following extensive research, the IDF is now revealing that 170 Gazans killed during the war who were presented as journalists and media personnel we...”
6cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
CPJ denounces Israel's smearing of killed Palestinian journalists with unsubstantiated ‘terrorist’ labels - Committee to Protect Journalists
Source excerpt: “# CPJ denounces Israel’s smearing of killed Palestinian journalists with unsubstantiated ‘terrorist’ labels ### Share this: The Committee to Protect J...”
7cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
CPJ denounces Israel's smearing of killed Palestinian journalists with unsubstantiated ‘terrorist’ labels - Committee to Protect Journalists
Source excerpt: “Since the war began on October 7, 2023, Israel has used questionable and sometimes contradictory evidence to label at least three journalists killed b...”
8commondreams.orgNews and mediaquality 0.54
Palestinian Researcher Dismantles Israel's List of So-Called 'Terrorist' Journalists Slain in Gaza
Source excerpt: “The database, which the IDF refers to as the “Press Files,” says “that claim does not tell the full story” and ... # Palestinian Researcher Dismantle...”
9commondreams.orgNews and mediaquality 0.54
Palestinian Researcher Dismantles Israel's List of So-Called 'Terrorist' Journalists Slain in Gaza
Source excerpt: “Palestinian political analyst Muhammad Shehada, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, reviewed every single entry on the lis...”
10972mag.comNews and mediaquality 0.84
Debunking Israel’s latest list of ‘terrorist’ journalists in Gaza
Source excerpt: “The Israeli army is also accusing any journalist who entered Israel on October 7 of being a terrorist — despite the fact that many journalists and spe...”
11commondreams.orgNews and mediaquality 0.54
Palestinian Researcher Dismantles Israel's List of So-Called 'Terrorist' Journalists Slain in Gaza
Source excerpt: “Israeli officials and Western supporters have trumpeted the IDF’s list as a counter to findings by groups like International Federation of Journalists...”
12wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
Assassination of Anas Al-Sharif
Source excerpt: “[Palestinian authorities](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_Authority) as a deliberate assault on journalists, while the [Israel Defense Force...”