CPJ completes review of journalists killed in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory

New York, September 24, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) published today the findings of a comprehensive review of its documentation of journalists and media workers killed in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory between October 2023 and August 2026. 

As a result of new information obtained through the review, CPJ removed 22 individuals previously listed as journalists from its database, reinstated a further six individuals, and reclassified 12. Full details of these changes can be found here.  

“The accuracy and credibility of CPJ’s research are fundamental to our mission and to efforts to seek accountability and justice for journalists and media workers around the world,” said CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg. “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. Our review and a subsequent audit of our work show that CPJ has done just that.” 

The review is consistent with CPJ’s longstanding process of reviewing cases and updating its databases, as appropriate, when credible new information becomes available.

CPJ looked at a total of 229 deaths over the period. An external audit of the review found that the organization had followed its established and globally applied methodology in all cases that were removed or reinstated as a result of the process. The review did not introduce, revise, or otherwise change CPJ’s methodology or its definition of who it considers to be a journalist or a media worker. Rather, CPJ applied its existing criteria to newly obtained information and reassessed individual cases accordingly. Details on all changes made following the review are listed on the organization’s Journalist Casualties page. 

The review shows that Israeli forces remain responsible for by far the majority of killings of journalists and media workers worldwide since 2023.

The audit recommended improvements to the way in which CPJ describes its methodology, especially as it relates to determinations of “engagement in combat,” to provide greater clarity of its treatment of such cases in both internal and external documentation. CPJ has historically always excluded journalists from its lists if they are found to be engaging in combat.

CPJ has already implemented a number of the recommendations, including improvements to the way in which it displays corrections and clarifications and in providing greater detail on its methodology.

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About the CPJ Review and External Audit

CPJ announced in June 2026 that it was undertaking a comprehensive review of its database of journalists and media workers killed in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory after Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad published obituaries identifying as combatants individuals listed by CPJ as journalists. 

Under a longstanding policy, no journalist engaged in combat is included as a case under CPJ’s mandate. Since CPJ began documenting journalist killings in 1992, the organization has updated the status of a case or made further changes based on its documentation whenever new information becomes available. This means that cases are continuously revisited and tallies updated as warranted, anywhere in the world.  

The first phase of CPJ’s data review was completed in July 2026. Because Israel bars journalists and researchers from entering the Gaza Strip independently, CPJ researchers reviewed the published work, social media posts, photographs, videos, and statements of deceased journalists and any other published materials. In each case where new evidence emerged, the researchers sought to speak with at least two new sources who had known the person killed. CPJ was able to speak to at least two new sources in 220 of 229 cases. 

Following that first phase, CPJ commissioned an external auditor to assess the process it followed to conduct the internal review and its findings. This additional step was intended to provide further assurance around the robustness of CPJ’s work.

The audit was completed in August 2026 and included recommendations to improve clarity around CPJ’s processes, as well as a recommendation to include further detail on CPJ’s methodology regarding engagement in combat.

About the Committee to Protect Journalists

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide. We defend the right of journalists to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal.

For more information, please contact Jodie Ginsberg [email protected] or +1 347 544 1991