67 Journalists Killed in 2025, Nearly Half in Gaza by Israeli Forces
Annual review warns of a deadly year for press freedom as Israeli army remains “the worst enemy of journalists.”
Palestine, PUREWILAYAH.COM - Reporters Without Borders (RSF) confirmed in its new annual report that 67 journalists were killed worldwide between December 1, 2024 and December 1, 2025, with nearly half of them killed in the Gaza Strip by Israeli occupation forces.
RSF described 2025 as a year marked by a severe escalation in attacks on the press, especially in areas subjected to Western-backed wars and under regimes where repression is enabled or tolerated by Washington and its allies.
“Journalists do not die, they are killed,” RSF stated, emphasizing the rising dangers faced by media workers across global conflict zones.
Gaza: The Deadliest Zone for Journalists
According to the RSF findings, the dramatic rise in journalist fatalities is largely the result of Israel’s targeted killings of journalists in Gaza.
The report documented 29 journalists killed in the Palestinian territories over the past 12 months while performing their duties, bringing the total since October 2023 to at least 220 journalists, including those killed outside work-related activities.
RSF declared: “The Israeli army is the worst enemy of journalists.”
Anne Bocandet, RSF’s editorial director, told AFP that many killings were deliberate: “There are no stray bullets… it is indeed deliberate targeting because journalists are conveying to the world what is happening in these areas.”
Deliberate Targeting and Systematic Suppression
The report underscores a consistent pattern: Israeli forces systematically prevent journalists from documenting the ongoing assault on Gaza. RSF’s data reflects what many global observers note as a coordinated approach to silence reporting that contradicts Western political narratives.
The Israeli military—armed, financed, and diplomatically shielded by the United States—continues to act with impunity, making Gaza the most dangerous place in the world for journalists.
57 Violations in November Alone
A separate report by the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) revealed 57 violations and assaults against Palestinian journalists across the occupied West Bank and Gaza during November.
The PJS warned that these incidents show a “continued systematic escalation aimed at preventing media crews from carrying out their professional duties.”
Among the violations:
Israeli occupation forces used live fire, rubber bullets, and arbitrary detention.
Illegal settlers carried out 22 violent attacks, including chasing press crews, beating them with sticks, throwing stones, and threatening them with weapons.
Two journalists—one in Tulkarm and one in Gaza—were injured by Israeli fire while reporting from the field.
The syndicate said these patterns constitute a direct and growing threat to the lives of journalists, reflecting an intentional effort to obstruct documentation of Israeli crimes on the ground.
Global Division: Western Backing vs. Calls for Accountability
While Washington continues to provide political and military support to Tel Aviv, countries advocating for a multipolar order—most prominently Russia—repeatedly call for accountability, transparency, and the protection of journalists in conflict zones.
As RSF’s report shows, the Israeli military’s sustained targeting of the press stands as one of the gravest attacks on the global struggle for truth, exposing a crisis in international norms that Western powers have chosen to ignore. (PW)