CPJ has revised its list of media casualties in Gaza, reclassifying 19 Palestinians previously identified as journalists as militants or combatants. After an internal review and an external audit, the organisation now reports that 191 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed by Israeli fire since the war began. CPJ tightened its criteria on military affiliations, removed additional cases it could not verify, and reinstated several others. The revisions underscore the difficulties of verifying roles amid active conflict while CPJ maintains that Israeli forces remain responsible for the majority of journalist deaths worldwide since 2023.
CPJ Revises Gaza Toll: 19 Previously Listed Journalists Reclassified As Militants; 191 Palestinian Media Workers Reported Killed
Palestinians walk amid war-damaged buildings in Gaza City, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) announced on Thursday that it has revised its tally of media workers killed in the Israel–Hamas war, concluding that 19 Palestinians it had earlier identified as journalists or media staff were in fact militants or took part in combat. After the review, the New York–based rights group reports that Israeli forces have killed 191 Palestinian journalists and media workers since the war began.
Ongoing Review and Methodology
CPJ said it routinely updates its list when new evidence emerges. The organisation removed three additional Palestinians because their journalistic roles could not be verified, and it reinstated six cases, including two Israeli journalists killed during Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack that precipitated the war.
"The accuracy and credibility of CPJ's research are fundamental to our mission," CEO Jodie Ginsberg said. "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."
What Changed
CPJ launched an internal review in June after obituaries and other post-ceasefire material published following the October 2025 ceasefire identified individuals who appeared to be fighters rather than journalists. The organisation then commissioned an external auditor in July to re-examine its findings. As part of the review, CPJ tightened its criteria to exclude "anyone with active membership of any military arm of a state or non-state actor." Five of the 19 reclassified individuals were removed under this revised standard.
Notable Cases
Among the victims on CPJ’s list was Mariam Dagga, a visual journalist who contributed to The Associated Press and other outlets. CPJ says she was killed, along with 21 others including rescue workers and fellow journalists, when Israel struck a Gaza hospital twice in August 2025.
Responses and Context
Israel denies deliberately targeting journalists and has said some of the slain were members of Hamas or other armed groups posing as reporters; it has in some cases presented what it calls evidence of such links, which employers have disputed. The Israeli prime minister's office and the military did not immediately respond to requests for comment for this report.
Critics accuse Israel of deliberately targeting journalists to suppress coverage. Since the outbreak of the war, Israel has largely barred foreign reporters from entering Gaza except on brief, military-controlled visits. CPJ says it treats all Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza as having been killed in connection with their work because they cannot safely leave the territory and therefore cannot do their jobs elsewhere.
Broader Casualty Figures
CPJ emphasised that, even after revisions, its figures indicate Israeli forces are responsible for the majority of journalist and media-worker deaths worldwide since 2023. Separate figures cited in the report include Gaza's Health Ministry tally of nearly 74,000 Palestinians killed during Israel's offensive; that ministry, run by the Hamas-led authorities, does not distinguish between civilians and fighters in its count but reports that roughly half the dead were women and children. CPJ also noted that Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack and abducted 251 people; the remaining hostages were released or their remains returned under the ceasefire deal reached nearly a year later.
Legal and Operational Questions
Under international humanitarian law, journalists are civilians unless they take part in hostilities. Israel has argued that militants posing as journalists have exploited these protections to gather intelligence and help target Israeli forces. Armed groups such as Hamas maintain media units that are sometimes embedded with fighters to record operations, produce propaganda and distribute hostage footage, complicating verification.
AP Executive Editor Julie Pace is a member of CPJ’s board. CPJ said it remains committed to transparency and to revising its roster when credible new information becomes available.
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