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

This is a contested claim with competing sources reaching different conclusions.

The claim of a "majority" comes from a specific, contested source:

The claim that a majority of Gazan journalists killed were linked to terrorist organizations originates primarily from the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, an Israeli research institute. Its study examined the identities of 266 individuals identified as journalists or media workers killed in Gaza between October 7, 2023, and November 30, 2025, and found 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.

This was echoed by the IDF itself, which revealed that 170 individuals who were misleadingly presented as civilian "journalists" killed in strikes on Gaza were actually affiliated with Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and other terrorist organizations. The IDF said it was publishing what it described as verified evidence, including images and documents produced by the terrorist organizations, some of which were recovered in Gaza, that it says demonstrate the individuals' affiliations and roles.

However, the leading independent press-freedom monitor disputes this framing:

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the most widely cited independent tracker of journalist deaths, has acknowledged removing some names after new evidence emerged, but strongly rejects the "majority" characterization. After a formal review, CPJ said it removes names from its database if subsequent evidence shows individuals were not journalists or media workers, were not active in those capacities at the time of their deaths, or were engaging in combat. Consistent with this approach, CPJ removed eight names from its "Killed" database because they were later established to have been members of Hamas or PIJ, and a further 12 individuals were removed for other reasons.

That's roughly 20 names removed out of 200+ documented deaths — not a majority. CPJ's CEO Jodie Ginsberg stated: "CPJ has always been clear that we do not include anyone in our data sets if there is evidence that they were engaging in combat or inciting imminent violence. This is consistent with international humanitarian law, which considers journalists affiliated with non-state actors to be civilians, provided they do not directly participate in hostilities."

As of CPJ's latest count, as of September 24, 2026, CPJ's preliminary investigations show that at least 247 journalists and media workers are among those killed across Gaza and related regional conflicts since October 7, 2023, with Israel having now killed more journalists and media workers than any other government since CPJ began collecting data in 1992.

A middle-ground finding comes from a Telegraph investigation of a BBC Arabic list: an investigation by the UK's Telegraph newspaper examined a BBC Arabic report listing more than 180 journalists killed during the war and found that 53 of those named had ties to Hamas or other terrorist groups — a substantial minority (~29%), but not a majority.

Bottom line: The "majority linked to terrorism" claim is not supported by independent press-freedom organizations like CPJ, RSF, or mainstream outlets' own investigations, which have found ties in a minority of cases (roughly 10–30%, depending on methodology). The 60% figure comes specifically from an Israeli government-aligned research center and has been amplified by the IDF, but is disputed as using a broad, contested definition of "affiliation" (including family/organizational ties or "dual identity" claims that critics say blur the line between journalism and combat status). Independent verification of the full 60% figure by neutral third parties has not been established.