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

Leans noSays it is contestedSources conflict

The IDF's Press Files claims at least 170 killed Gaza journalists were militants, while CPJ's review removed only about 27 cases and found no evidence that most were militants.

Short answer: No independent body has substantiated that “a majority” of Gazan journalists killed since October 7, 2023 were linked to terrorist organizations. That claim comes chiefly from the Israeli military and a handful of aligned research/advocacy groups, and it has not been verified by press‑freedom monitors.

What different sources say

•Israeli military/advocacy claims: In October 2026 the IDF published “The Press Files,” asserting that at least 170 people presented as Gaza “journalists/media personnel” who were killed were actually members of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad or other armed groups. Advocacy groups such as HonestReporting and the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center likewise argued that “over half” of the dead on various lists had militant ties. These are claims by parties or aligned groups, not independent press‑freedom auditors.[1]

•Independent monitors (CPJ/RSF/UN): The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) counted 209 journalists and media workers killed by Israel in Gaza and in Israeli detention centers from October 7, 2023 through June 25, 2026, and then conducted a comprehensive review. On September 24, 2026 CPJ reported it had examined 229 deaths and, based on new evidence, removed 22 individuals from its database, reinstated 6, and reclassified 12—consistent with its long‑standing policy to exclude anyone found to have engaged in combat. Reporting on the review said CPJ has in total removed about 27 cases where people were later identified as militants or combatants. CPJ has also criticized Israel’s practice of labeling killed Palestinian journalists as “terrorists” without providing sufficient verifiable evidence. None of these independent reviews concluded that most of the slain were militants.[2]

•UN/RSF context: UN experts and Reporters Without Borders have likewise warned that official “terrorist” labels have often been unsubstantiated and stress that affiliation with a Gaza outlet or government body does not, by itself, make a media worker a combatant under international law.[3]

Bottom line

•Some individuals later turned out to have militant roles and were removed by CPJ, but on the best available independent evidence, it is not established that a majority of Gazan journalists killed since October 7, 2023 were linked to terrorist organizations. The “majority” assertion rests on government or advocacy‑group lists that independent press‑freedom organizations have not validated.[4]

Citations (4)

1idf.ilGovernment
Background Does the IDF Target Journalists in Gaza? 170 Gazan Journalists Exposed as Terrorists | IDF
Backs: “These are claims by parties or aligned groups, not independent press‑freedom auditors.”
attribution, official document, points to yes. Claim: The IDF published 'The Press Files' asserting at least 170 killed Gaza 'journalists' were members of Hamas, PIJ or other armed groups.
2cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
CPJ undertakes review of its documentation of journalists killed in Israel-Gaza war since 2023 - Committee to Protect Journalists
Backs: “None of these independent reviews concluded that most of the slain were militants.”
statistic, article, points to no. Claim: CPJ counted 209 journalists and media workers killed through June 25, 2026, then began a comprehensive review of its documentation.
3un.orgGovernment
Truth under the rubble: media in the time of genocide (A/81/249): Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Francesca Albanese - Question of Palestine
Backs: “UN experts and Reporters Without Borders have likewise warned that official “terrorist” labels have often been unsubstantiated and stress that affiliation with a Gaza outlet or government body does not, by itself, make a media worker a combatant under international law.”
evidence, official document, points to no. Claim: UN experts warn official 'terrorist' labels are often unsubstantiated, and affiliation with a Gaza outlet or body doesn't make a media worker a combatant.
4cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
CPJ completes review of journalists killed in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory - Committee to Protect Journalists
Backs: “The “majority” assertion rests on government or advocacy‑group lists that independent press‑freedom organizations have not validated.”
statistic, article, points to no. Claim: CPJ examined 229 deaths, removed 22 individuals, reinstated 6 and reclassified 12; no independent review found most slain were militants.