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

This is a contested casualty claim — I'll gather recent journalist death counts and any terrorism-link evidence to check the majority threshold.

There is no independent consensus that a majority were linked to terrorist organizations - the answer depends on source and definition of "linked":

Total numbers of journalists killed in Gaza since Oct 7, 2023 is disputed:

•The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has documented at least 189 Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza

•The International Federation of Journalists reports at least 203

•Reporters Without Borders reports nearly 220

•International Federation of Journalists has described it as the deadliest period in history of journalism and cataloged at least 240

Claim that a majority WERE linked comes from Israeli government and Israeli-affiliated researchers:

•The Israeli military said on Thursday that 170 Palestinians killed in Gaza during the war and who had been identified as journalists were members of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) or other terrorist organizations. The IDF said identities and affiliations were determined by using documentation belonging to the terrorist organizations that Israeli forces recovered during military operations.

•Breakdown given: 118 belonged to Hamas's military wing, 49 to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the rest to smaller factions

•A study by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center determined that of the 266 Palestinians identified as journalists or media personnel killed in Gaza from October 7, 2023, to November 30, 2025, approximately 60% — at least 157 individuals — were affiliated with terrorist organizations, primarily Hamas (104 cases, including 47 confirmed military operatives)

•The same study summarized: The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center analyzed 266 Palestinians identified as journalists or media workers killed in Gaza between October 2023 and late November 2025 and concluded that about 60% had roles in Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or other armed factions, including combat, command, or propaganda duties

•Israeli media watchdog HonestReporting, auditing the CPJ database after CPJ's own review, claimed: Of the 191 Gazan journalists on CPJ's list, 102 were found in a preliminary audit to have connections to terrorist groups

•HonestReporting also reported earlier audit found 120 of the 209 Gazan media workers, or 57 percent, had terrorist ties

•British Telegraph investigation cited as finding 53 of more than 180 names examined in the BBC Arabic report had ties to Hamas and other terrorist organizations

CPJ and international press freedom groups dispute that this constitutes a majority of terrorist operatives:

•Since June 2025, the Committee to Protect Journalists has removed 27 "journalists" from its lists after determining that they were Hamas or PIJ combatants - in a later audit CPJ announced it removed 22 individuals: 19 for participating in hostilities and three for failing to meet CPJ's definition of a journalist

•After that removal, CPJ retained 191 names. HonestReporting's claim that 102 still have terrorist ties relies on a broad definition including working for terrorist-affiliated news outlets (59 worked for terrorist-affiliated news outlets) and affiliation, not necessarily active combatant status.

•CPJ completed a sweeping review of 229 deaths after Hamas and PIJ published obituaries identifying some people listed as journalists as members of armed groups. CPJ ultimately removed 22 people, including some it found had participated in combat — but retained others despite militant obituaries, gun photos, or past organisational ties when the evidence did not establish active combatant status

•Palestinian political analyst Muhammad Shehada reviewed every single entry on the IDF's 170 list and called it "the most sloppy shameless fraud possible". He found that in the overwhelming majority of those listed, the IDF presents ZERO credible evidence. In most of them, their pages are literally blank

•In 59 cases, Shehada found that the IDF did not provide any evidence for its claim other than that the claim was "based on multiple intelligence sources". In another 42 cases, Shehada found that the IDF provided only decontextualized "snippets" of files, which were "undated and unspecified"

•Example cited: Reporters Without Borders has previously explained, the document says al-Ghoul, born in 1997, received a military rank in 2007, when he was 10, while elsewhere saying he joined in 2014

•CPJ's standard distinguishes continuous combat function: "In multiple cases, despite obituaries by Hamas/PIJ, the Committee to Protect Journalists investigated thoroughly and concluded those journalists were NOT engaged in any militant activity during the genocide" - "They may have in the past. That doesn't make them combatants forever"

•UN rapporteur Francesca Albanese disputed the findings, saying there was "zero" evidence demonstrating that those identified by Israel had participated in military activities

In summary: Israeli military and Israeli think-tank/media-watchdog audits claim ~53-60% were affiliated if affiliation includes working for Hamas/PIJ-controlled outlets or past membership. International press freedom organizations CPJ, RSF, IFJ, and independent analysts reject that as proof of being terrorist operatives/combatants at time of death, and have not accepted that a majority were legitimate military targets.

Citations (4)

1eveningreport.nzNot yet classified
Palestinian researcher exposes Israel’s list of so-called ‘terrorist’ journalists slain in Gaza as smear
Backs: “The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has documented at least 189 Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza. The International Federation of Journalists reports at least 203. Reporters Without Borders reports nearly 220”
2allisraelnews.comNews and media
IDF says 170 Gazans previously identified as journalists were Hamas or Islamic Jihad terrorists
Backs: “International Federation of Journalists has described it as the deadliest period in history of journalism and cataloged at least 240. Claim that a majority WERE linked comes from Israeli government and Israeli-affiliated researchers: The Israeli military said on Thursday that 170 Palestinians killed in Gaza during the…”
3srnnews.comNot yet classified
The Media Line: Study Says Up to 60% of Gaza War Journalists Killed Were Affiliated with Terrorist Groups - SRN News
Backs: “A study by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center determined that of the 266 Palestinians identified as journalists or media personnel killed in Gaza from October 7, 2023, to November 30, 2025, approximately 60% — at least 157 individuals — were affiliated with terrorist organizations, primarily…”
4honestreporting.comNonprofits and think tanks
CPJ Audits List of Dead Gazan Journalist – More Than Half Still Have Terrorist Ties
Backs: “The same study summarized: The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center analyzed 266 Palestinians identified as journalists or media workers killed in Gaza between October 2023 and late November 2025 and concluded that about 60% had roles in Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or other armed factions,…”