Twenty Gaza journalists removed from CPJ's war casualties list after combat roles uncovered

The Committee to Protect Journalists removed 20 individuals from its database of journalists killed in the Israel-Gaza war after determining they had engaged in combat. The review, prompted by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad obituaries identifying combatants previously listed as journalists, also reinstated six people and reclassified others. CPJ maintained its existing standards and commissioned an external audit that found no violations but recommended greater clarity on combat determination.

The Committee to Protect Journalists removed 20 individuals from its database of journalists and media workers killed in the Israel-Gaza war after determining they had engaged in combat, the organization announced on Thursday. The review examined CPJ's documentation of casualties between October 2023 and August 2026. CPJ launched the process after Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad published obituaries identifying as combatants people whom CPJ had previously listed as journalists. Three additional names were removed because the individuals were not journalists or media workers. CPJ reinstated six people after determining their deaths were work-related, including Assaad Shamlakh. Ahmed Abu Mhadi was reclassified from journalist to media worker rather than removed. Nine others were moved from journalist to media worker, and three were reclassified in the opposite direction. CPJ said the review applied its existing standards to newly obtained information, examining published work, social media, photographs, and videos, and seeking at least two additional sources per case. An external audit found no evidence that CPJ had removed or retained individuals in violation of its criteria but recommended greater clarity on how combat engagement is determined. CPJ maintains that affiliation with a militant organization is not sufficient for exclusion if a person was working as a civilian journalist not directly participating in hostilities. HonestReporting sharply criticized CPJ's conclusions, accusing the organization of complicity in a system where Hamas operatives pose as journalists.