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 dispute. The answer depends heavily on how "linked to a terrorist organization" is defined and which database is examined.

The debate centers on two main perspectives:

1. The Israeli Government and IDF Perspective (The 60% Claim)

According to the Israeli government, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and Israeli-aligned research bodies, a majority of the killed journalists indeed had ties to terrorist groups.

•The Meir Amit Center Study: A comprehensive study published by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (an Israeli research group with close ties to the defense establishment) examined 266 media workers reported killed in Gaza between October 7, 2023, and November 30, 2025. It concluded that roughly 60% (157 individuals) were members of or closely affiliated with terrorist organizations, primarily Hamas (104) and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (45).

•IDF Assertions: In October 2026, the IDF launched a dedicated website listing 170 individuals presented by Palestinian and international watchdogs as "civilian journalists" whom Israel claims were actually active operatives or affiliates of Hamas, PIJ, and other militant groups.

•The Definition of "Linked": This 60% figure relies on a broad definition of "affiliation." It includes not only active combatants and military wing operatives (such as snipers, drone operators, and propaganda officers), but also any media worker employed by Hamas-run or PIJ-run state media outlets (e.g., Al-Aqsa TV/Radio, Safa News Agency, and Palestine Today). Israel argues these outlets function as propaganda and operational arms of the terrorist organizations rather than independent press.

2. The International Press Freedom Perspective (The Civilian Majority)

In contrast, international press freedom organizations—including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and Free Press Unlimited (FPU)—strongly reject the claim that a majority of the killed journalists were terrorists.

•International Humanitarian Law: Under international law, journalists are considered protected civilians during armed conflict, regardless of their political views, employer, or institutional affiliation, so long as they do not directly participate in hostilities (combat).

•Legitimate Media Workers: Watchdogs argue that working for state-run, government-funded, or politically affiliated media outlets in Gaza (such as Hamas-run channels) does not make a media worker a legitimate military target. Because Gaza has been governed by Hamas, many local media operations fall under its administration. Watchdogs maintain that the vast majority of those killed were executing civilian journalistic duties under highly dangerous conditions.

3. Recent Audits and Revisions (The Combatant Controversy)

While independent watchdogs argue that the vast majority of the killed journalists were civilians, they have acknowledged and corrected errors where individuals were later proven to be active militants.

In mid-2026, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad published military obituaries mourning several individuals previously classified as civilian journalists by international groups, identifying them as active commanders or fighters.

Following these disclosures, the CPJ launched an extensive internal audit of its casualty list. In September 2026, the CPJ announced that it had removed 27 individuals from its database of slain journalists since the start of the war after finding new evidence that they had actively engaged in combat or belonged to a militant group's military wing. Even after making these corrections, however, the CPJ's database of confirmed killed journalists stands at over 190, the vast majority of whom they maintain were civilian media workers.

Summary

•Yes, a majority are linked if you accept the Israeli and IDF definition, which classifies any employee of Hamas- or PIJ-run media outlets, as well as active combatants, as "affiliated with terrorist organizations."

•No, the vast majority were civilians if you apply the standards of international humanitarian law and global press watchdogs (like the CPJ), which define journalists as protected civilians regardless of their political employer, unless they are proven to have actively participated in combat. Under this standard, while dozens of active combatants have been retroactively identified and removed from official lists of journalists, the overwhelming majority of the killed media workers are considered legitimate civilian journalists.

Citations (11)

1timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
timesofisrael.com
Backs: “Whether a majority of the Gazan journalists killed since October 7, 2023, were linked to terrorist organizations is a subject of intense dispute.”
2apnews.comNews and mediaquality 1.00
apnews.com
Backs: “Whether a majority of the Gazan journalists killed since October 7, 2023, were linked to terrorist organizations is a subject of intense dispute.”
3wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “The answer depends heavily on how "linked to a terrorist organization" is defined and which database is examined.”
4jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
jpost.com
Backs: “The answer depends heavily on how "linked to a terrorist organization" is defined and which database is examined.”
5jpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.81
jpost.com
Backs: “The Meir Amit Center Study: A comprehensive study published by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (an Israeli research group with close ties to the defense establishment) examined 266 media workers reported killed in Gaza between October 7, 2023, and November 30, 2025.”
6aipac.orgNonprofits and think tanks
aipac.org
Backs: “The Definition of "Linked": This 60% figure relies on a broad definition of "affiliation." It includes not only active combatants and military wing operatives (such as snipers, drone operators, and propaganda officers), but also any media worker employed by Hamas-run or PIJ-run state media outlets (e.g., Al-Aqsa…”
7honestreporting.comNonprofits and think tanks
honestreporting.com
Backs: “The Definition of "Linked": This 60% figure relies on a broad definition of "affiliation." It includes not only active combatants and military wing operatives (such as snipers, drone operators, and propaganda officers), but also any media worker employed by Hamas-run or PIJ-run state media outlets (e.g., Al-Aqsa…”
8arabnews.comNews and mediaquality 0.48
arabnews.com
Backs: “The Definition of "Linked": This 60% figure relies on a broad definition of "affiliation." It includes not only active combatants and military wing operatives (such as snipers, drone operators, and propaganda officers), but also any media worker employed by Hamas-run or PIJ-run state media outlets (e.g., Al-Aqsa…”
9freepressunlimited.orgNonprofits and think tanks
freepressunlimited.org
Backs: “In contrast, international press freedom organizations—including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and Free Press Unlimited (FPU)—strongly reject the claim that a majority of the killed journalists were terrorists.”
10cpj.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cpj.org
Backs: “International Humanitarian Law: Under international law, journalists are considered protected civilians during armed conflict, regardless of their political views, employer, or institutional affiliation, so long as they do not directly participate in hostilities (combat). Legitimate Media Workers: Watchdogs argue that…”
11apnews.comNews and mediaquality 1.00
apnews.com
Backs: “Because Gaza has been governed by Hamas, many local media operations fall under its administration. Watchdogs maintain that the vast majority of those killed were executing civilian journalistic duties under highly dangerous conditions.”