Paris-based media freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on Tuesday that Israel was responsible for almost half of all journalists killed worldwide this year, with 29 Palestinian reporters killed in Gaza.
RSF’s annual report recorded a total of 67 journalists killed globally in 2025, slightly up from 66 in 2024. Israeli forces accounted for 43 percent of the deaths, earning the designation of the “worst enemy of journalists,” according to the report, which tracks fatalities from December 2024.
The deadliest single attack occurred on August 25, when a “double-tap” bombing on a hospital in southern Gaza killed five journalists, including two contributors to international news agencies Reuters and Associated Press.
Since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, following the Hamas attack on Israel, nearly 220 journalists have been killed, making Israel the largest killer of journalists worldwide for three consecutive years, RSF data shows. Foreign reporters remain largely unable to enter Gaza except through tightly controlled tours organized by the Israeli military, despite repeated calls from media groups for access.
The report also highlighted other dangerous regions: Mexico recorded nine journalist deaths in 2025, the deadliest in at least three years, despite government pledges to protect reporters. Ukraine (three killed) and Sudan (four killed) were also among the most perilous countries.
Although the number of journalist deaths is down from the peak of 142 in 2012—largely linked to the Syrian civil war—it remains above the average of 80 per year since 2003.
RSF editorial director Anne Bocande warned that a growing trend of smearing journalists is being used to justify targeting them. “These are not stray bullets. This is a deliberate targeting of journalists because they inform the world about what’s happening on the ground,” she told AFP.
The report also tracked journalists imprisoned for their work. As of December 1, 2025, 503 journalists were detained in 47 countries, with China (121), Russia (48), and Myanmar (47) cited as the most repressive.
UNESCO figures differ, reporting 91 journalists killed globally in 2025, reflecting variations in methodology between organisations.
