Israel Accountable for Nearly Half of Journalists' Deaths in 2025: Report

Post by : Raina Nasser

A recent report from Reporters Without Borders (RSF), based in Paris, has disclosed that Israeli forces were accountable for nearly half of the global journalist fatalities in 2025. The annual report by RSF, published on Tuesday, reveals that 29 Palestinian journalists were killed by Israeli troops in Gaza, positioning Israel as the most lethal threat to journalists this year.

In total, 67 journalists lost their lives internationally in 2025, marking a slight rise from the 66 deaths recorded in 2024. Notably, Israeli forces were responsible for 43 percent of these fatalities, with RSF condemning them as the “worst enemy of journalists.” The deadliest event occurred on August 25 in Gaza, when a “double-tap” airstrike struck a southern hospital, claiming the lives of five journalists, including two from major international news agencies.

Since the outbreak of hostilities in Gaza in October 2023, Israel has been implicated in the deaths of nearly 220 journalists, establishing itself as the leading nation for journalist fatalities globally for three consecutive years. RSF underscored that international journalists continue to face significant hurdles when attempting to cover events in Gaza, permitted entry only through heavily regulated military tours. Advocacy for unrestricted access to report in the region has been a longstanding plea from media freedom organizations.

Additionally, the RSF report identified 2025 as one of the deadliest years for media workers in Mexico, with nine journalists killed in spite of government assurances to safeguard them. Ukraine and Sudan reported three and four journalist deaths respectively, contributing to the dangerous environment for media personnel in these nations.

While the count of 67 fatalities is less than the peak of 142 in 2012—primarily due to the Syrian civil war—it remains just below the global annual average of around 80 journalist deaths since 2003.

The RSF’s report further stressed the ongoing threats to media freedom worldwide, with 503 journalists detained across 47 different countries as of December 1, 2025. Leading this grim statistic is China, with 121 imprisoned journalists, followed closely by Russia at 48, and Myanmar at 47, highlighting a persistent international crisis regarding press freedom.

The findings from RSF underscore an urgent call for enhanced protections for journalists, emphasizing the critical need for global attention to ensure safe reporting in conflict zones.