CPJ to audit Gaza journalist death toll after militants’ obituaries surface

The Committee to Protect Journalists is conducting a full review of its Gaza journalist casualty database after Hamas and PIJ published obituaries naming individuals as combatants who CPJ had previously listed as journalists. CPJ has already removed eight names for being Hamas/PIJ members and twelve for other reasons, bringing its Gaza/Israeli detention center tally to 209 journalist casualties since Oct 7, 2023. The review, expected to conclude in July, reflects CPJ’s rule to exclude those who engaged in combat and notes that on-the-ground verification has been hampered by Gaza access restrictions. The episode coincides with a Meir Amit Center study asserting about 60% of those killed identified as journalists in Gaza had terrorist affiliations, fueling debate over journalist civilian status and the use of press insignia.