Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has named Israel as the top killer of journalists for the third consecutive year. The organisation’s annual roundup, covering 1 December 2024 to 1 December 2025, recorded 67 journalists and media workers killed worldwide. That total is one higher than 2024 and the deadliest year for the press in a decade.
A Year of Deliberate Killings
Armed groups and state forces carried out 79% of the murders. RSF emphasises that the overwhelming majority were intentional.
“These journalists were killed because they were doing their job as inconvenient eyewitnesses,””said RSF Director General Thibaut Bruttin stated in the report.
Impunity remains the biggest driver. Few investigations lead to convictions, sending a clear message that targeting reporters carries no cost.
Gaza: The Deadliest Place on Earth for Journalists
Israeli forces killed 29 Palestinian journalists in Gaza during the period, 43% of the global death toll. This confirms Israel as the top killer of journalists once again.
Since the war began in October 2023, close to 220 journalists and media workers have lost their lives in Gaza alone. Independent foreign correspondents are still denied entry unless accompanied by the Israeli military, severely restricting coverage.
One of the most shocking incidents occurred on 25 August 2025. An Israeli “double-tap” strike on a hospital compound in southern Gaza killed five journalists in a single attack.
Violence in Other Conflict Zones
Mexico recorded the second-highest national toll with nine journalists murdered by organised crime – the country’s worst year on record.
In Ukraine, Russian forces killed three journalists, including French photojournalist Antoni Lallican in a drone strike. Sudan saw four journalists killed and two others abducted by the Rapid Support Forces.
Latin America as a whole accounted for 24% of global journalist murders in 2025.
The Broader Assault on Press Freedom
The crisis extends beyond fatalities. As of 1 December 2025, 503 journalists were imprisoned in 47 countries, 135 remained missing and 20 were being held hostage.
China detained the largest number (121), followed by Russia (48) and Myanmar (47). Seven of the hostages are held by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
RSF warns that growing hatred toward journalism, combined with widespread impunity, is eroding the public’s right to reliable information. The organisation has called for immediate independent investigations into every killing and stronger international mechanisms to protect media workers in conflict zones.
