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Israel remained leading killer of journalists in 2025: RSF
(AL-JAZEERA) Israel killed more journalists in 2025 than any other country, according to a report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
Israeli forces carrying out the genocidal war in Gaza were responsible for the deaths of 29 Palestinian reporters, RSF said in its annual report published on Tuesday. It was the third year running that Israel was named the top killer of journalists by the NGO.
Overall, 67 journalists were killed around the world this year, one more than in 2024.
“This is where the hatred of journalists leads!” said Thibaut Bruttin, RSF’s director general, in a statement. “It led to the death of 67 journalists this year – not by accident, and they weren’t collateral victims. They were killed, targeted for their work.”
Demonstrators hold placards of slain journalists from Gaza Hossam Shbat and Anas al-Sharif, in support of Palestinians during a march on the International Day of Solidarity, in Dublin, Ireland [File: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters]
“Journalists do not just die – they are killed,” he said.
Mexico was the second most dangerous country in the world for journalists, with nine killed in the past year.
War-ravaged Ukraine, where three journalists were killed in 2025, and Sudan, where four journalists were killed this year, are other highly dangerous countries for reporters, according to RSF.
RSF also records the number of journalists jailed for their work. China is the leading offender with 121 reporters behind bars. Russia (48) and Myanmar (47) are the next most repressive countries.
As of December 1, 2025, 503 journalists were being detained in 47 countries.
The report also found that 135 journalists are missing in 37 countries, and that 20 others are currently being held hostage.
The killing of 43 percent of the 67 journalists that died in the past 12 months was carried out by the Israeli military in the besieged Gaza Strip, according to the press freedom group.
The deadliest single attack in the enclave was a “double-tap” strike on a hospital in the south of Gaza on August 25, in which five journalists were killed, including Al Jazeera photographer Mohammad Salama, as well as contributors to Reuters and The Associated Press news agencies.
Nearly 300 journalists and media workers have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza in 26 months of genocidal war – or about 12 journalists every month – according to a tally by Shireen.ps, a monitoring website named after Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot dead by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank in 2022.
Israel has maintained its ban on foreign reporters in Gaza – unless they arrive in tightly controlled tours organised by the Israeli military – despite calls from media groups and press freedom organisations for access.
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