RSF: Israel Responsible for Highest Journalist Death Toll for Third Consecutive Year
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says Israel was responsible for nearly half of all journalists killed worldwide this year, with 29 Palestinian reporters dying at the hands of Israeli forces in Gaza.
In its annual report, the Paris-based media freedom watchdog recorded 67 journalist deaths globally over the past year—slightly up from 66 in 2024.
RSF says Israeli forces accounted for 43 percent of the total, making them “the worst enemy of journalists” in 2025. The report covers deaths documented between December 2024 and December 2025.
One of the deadliest incidents occurred on August 25, when a so-called “double-tap” strike hit a hospital in southern Gaza, killing five journalists, including two contributors to Reuters and the Associated Press.
RSF data shows that since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023 following the Hamas attack on Israel, nearly 220 journalists have been killed, solidifying Israel’s position as the world’s deadliest country for journalists for three years running. The Israeli military maintains that its strikes target Hamas fighters and commanders.
‘Not Stray Bullets’
Foreign journalists are still barred from independently entering Gaza unless embedded in tightly controlled Israeli military tours, despite repeated calls from press freedom groups demanding open access.
RSF’s report also highlights Mexico as one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists, recording nine deaths—its worst year in at least three years despite new government protection promises.
Sudan (four deaths) and war-torn Ukraine (three deaths) also remain high-risk countries for media professionals.
Globally, journalist fatalities are far below the wartime peak of 142 deaths in 2012, driven largely by the Syrian conflict, and below the long-term average of about 80 deaths per year since 2003.
RSF editorial director Anne Bocandé said the pattern of killings shows a “deliberate targeting” of journalists. “These are not stray bullets,” she told AFP. “This is an intentional effort to silence reporters who show the world what is happening on the ground.”
Record Number of Journalists Imprisoned
RSF also tracked worldwide imprisonment, reporting 503 journalists detained in 47 countries as of December 1, 2025. China leads the list with 121 journalists jailed, followed by Russia (48) and Myanmar (47).
Other organisations use different criteria for counting deaths. UNESCO, for example, recorded 91 journalist killings in 2025.
