CPJ Revises Gaza Journalist Toll After Identifying 19 as Militants

The Committee to Protect Journalists announced on September 24, 2026, that it has revised its accounting of Palestinians killed in Gaza, reclassifying 19 individuals previously listed as journalists or media workers as militants or combat participants. Following an internal review launched in June 2026 and an independent audit commissioned in July, CPJ determined that Israeli forces have killed 191 Palestinian journalists and media workers since the war began in October 2023.

CPJ said it removed a total of 27 people from its journalist casualty list after finding they participated in combat or belonged to armed militant groups. The organization removed another three Palestinians because their role as journalists could not be established, and reinstated six cases including two Israeli journalists killed in Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack. CPJ emphasized that its methodology relies solely on whether individuals meet its definition of journalist, independent of political affiliation or views. CEO Jodie Ginsberg stated: "The accuracy and credibility of CPJ's research are fundamental to our mission. We base the determinations we make solely on whether individuals meet our definitions of who we consider to be a journalist, not an individual's affiliation or views, nor in response to pressure or intimidation from any government or interest group."

The revision was prompted by obituaries of Hamas and other militants released following the October 2025 ceasefire agreement, which identified fighters previously classified by CPJ as journalists. The organization also revised its criteria to exclude individuals with active membership in military arms of state or non-state actors; five of the 19 reclassified individuals were removed under these new standards. CPJ noted that it regularly updates findings as new information emerges.

Despite the adjustments, CPJ stated that Israeli forces remain responsible for "by far the majority" of journalist and media worker killings worldwide since 2023. Among those killed was Mariam Dagga, a visual journalist for The Associated Press and other outlets, who died in August 2025 when Israeli forces carried out a double strike on a Gaza hospital that also killed 21 others including rescue workers and journalists.

Israel denies deliberately targeting journalists and has stated that some slain individuals were members of Hamas or armed groups posing as reporters. In certain cases, Israel provided evidence of militant ties that was rejected by employers. The Israeli prime minister's office and military did not respond to requests for comment. International law designates journalists as protected civilians unless they participate in hostilities. CPJ notes it considers all Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza to have been killed in connection with their work, since they cannot leave the territory and can conduct journalism anywhere within it.