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

This claim about journalists in Gaza needs checking — I'll gather the latest casualty data and reported affiliations.

Multiple investigations published in 2024-2026 conclude that more than half — roughly 53% to 60% — of Gazans counted as "journalists" killed since October 7, 2023 had demonstrable links to terrorist organizations, but the conclusion depends on how "linked" is defined and is disputed by press-freedom groups.

What the lists show

> The Israel Defense Forces has published a database of 170 people killed in Gaza who were publicly described as journalists or media workers, but whom the military says were members of the armed wings of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist groups.

> Of the 170, the IDF says 118 belonged to Hamas’s military wing and 49 to Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Assessments that a majority were linked

> The Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center’s comprehensive examination of the 131 names revealed that approximately 60% were operatives in or affiliated with the terrorist organizations

>According to information examined by the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center for the present study and the study published in February 2024, 266 individuals defined as “journalists and media personnel” were killed during the war in the Gaza Strip. The examination indicated that about 60% were members of or affiliated with terrorist organizations, primarily Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).

The full findings specify:

>An examination of each of 266 names ... showed that at least 157 of them, or about 60%, were operatives or affiliated with terrorist organizations

Of those, 104 were identified as Hamas members, 45 as PIJ.

> That leaves a total of 191 supposed Gazan journalists on the CPJ's rejiggered database—102 of whom still have demonstrable "connections to terrorist groups," according to an independent review of the CPJ audit performed by the Israeli media watchdog group HonestReporting.

That is described as:

>Although the CPJ review removed almost two dozen individuals who participated in combat during the war that began on October 7, 2023, 53 percent of those still listed have terrorist ties

An earlier HonestReporting review of CPJ's 209-person list found:

>CPJ maintains a database of 209 Gazan media workers that were killed during the war with Hamas, but a review indicates that 120 of the individuals, or 57%, had terrorist ties.

Summarized as:

>An HonestReporting audit of CPJ’s deceased Gaza journalist database showed that 57% of the individuals had ties to terrorism.

Caveats and disputes

> overt, obvious membership in an organization or its military branch, and employment by a media outlet of one of the organizations, which indicated he or she identified with the organization and acted on its behalf.

And for the updated study:

> Two criteria were used to determine the journalists’ organizational affiliation: clear information of membership in an organization or in its military wing, or employment by media outlets belonging to one of the organizations

Thus "linked" includes both active military operatives (e.g., at least 47 Hamas members and/or military operatives of the 104 Hamas members) and people employed by Hamas/PIJ-owned outlets such as Al-Aqsa TV, Al-Quds Al-Youm, etc.

> The Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday that 19 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire who it had previously identified as journalists or media workers were actually militants or participants in combat.

CPJ states its determinations are made:

> solely on whether individuals meet our definitions of who we consider to be a journalist, not an individual’s affiliation or views

and that journalists are considered civilians under international law unless they participate in hostilities, and that membership in a military media unit was only later excluded under revised criteria.

Press-freedom groups and the outlets that employed some of the deceased have rejected IDF evidence in several individual cases as unsubstantiated.

Conclusion

If "linked to terrorist organizations" is defined broadly to include membership, service in a military wing, or employment by a Hamas/PIJ-controlled media outlet, the Israeli-affiliated audits (IDF, ITIC, HonestReporting) consistently report a majority — between about 53% and 60% — of Gazans counted as journalists killed since October 7, 2023.

If defined narrowly as only active combatants/military operatives, the proportion described as verified fighters is smaller, and CPJ and other international organizations do not accept that a majority were legitimate military targets.