Israel responsible for 43% of global journalist deaths in 2025: Report

Israel has been identified as responsible for nearly half of all journalist fatalities worldwide in 2025, according to a new report from the press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The annual report, released on Tuesday, found that 67 media professionals were killed globally over the past 12 months, with the Israeli military implicated in 43% of those deaths, primarily in the Gaza Strip.

Details of Fatalities and Detentions in Israel and Palestine

The Paris-based NGO stated that "nearly half (43%) of the journalists slain in the past 12 months were killed in Gaza by Israeli armed forces." It further reported that approximately 220 journalists have been killed by the Israeli military since October 2023, with at least 65 targeted due to their profession. RSF also ranked Israel second globally for detaining foreign journalists, with 20 Palestinian journalists imprisoned in 2025 and an additional 16 arrested in Gaza and the West Bank over the prior two years.

Global Rankings of Dangerous Countries for Media

The report designated Mexico as the "second most dangerous country in the world for journalists," with nine killings in 2025. China was labeled the host of the "world’s largest prison for journalists," holding 121 reporters. It highlighted that nearly all slain journalists were killed in their home countries, underscoring the heightened risks faced by local correspondents.

Journalist Abuses in Other Conflict Zones

The ongoing war in Sudan also posed severe dangers, with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) killing four journalists in 2025, two of whom were abducted. In Syria, 37 journalists remain missing from a total of 135 who disappeared, primarily during the rule of ousted President Bashar al-Assad, having been imprisoned by regime authorities or taken hostage by ISIS. These findings illustrate a global crisis for press safety, particularly in conflict zones.