RSF said Israeli forces caused 43 percent, with 29 Palestinian reporters killed in Gaza alone.
Global press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has accused Israel of being responsible for almost half of all journalists killed worldwide in 2025, describing its military as “the worst enemy of journalists.”
In its annual report released Tuesday, the Paris-based organisation said 67 journalists were killed globally between December 2024 and December 2025—an increase from 66 the previous year.
Of those deaths, RSF said Israeli forces caused 43 percent, with 29 Palestinian reporters killed in Gaza alone.
The single most devastating incident was a “double-tap” airstrike on a hospital in southern Gaza on August 25, which killed five journalists, including two freelancers contributing to international news agencies Reuters and the Associated Press.
RSF in its detailed report, said the pattern of dual strikes suggested intentional targeting.
Since the Gaza conflict erupted in October 2023 following the Hamas attack on Israel, nearly 220 journalists have died, making Israel the deadliest country for reporters for the third consecutive year, according to RSF’s data.
Israeli authorities maintain that military operations target Hamas militants and leadership structures, not journalists caught in the crossfire.
However, RSF’s editorial director, Anne Bocandé, accused warring parties of increasingly trying to justify attacks on the media.
“These are not stray bullets. This is a deliberate targeting of journalists because they inform the world about what’s happening on the ground,” she told AFP, warning of a growing trend to discredit reporters before harming them.
Foreign reporters have still not been allowed independent entry into Gaza, except on strictly controlled military tours—something press freedom advocates say limits unbiased coverage of the conflict.
Outside the Middle East, RSF reported that 2025 was the deadliest year for journalists in Mexico in at least three years. Nine reporters were killed despite new safety pledges by President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Conflict-ravaged states such as Sudan and Ukraine also remained extremely perilous, with four and three journalist deaths respectively.
While the 2025 global death toll remains far below the 142 killed in 2012 at the height of the Syrian civil war, RSF noted that the long-term average of about 80 deaths a year since 2003 shows the profession remains deeply dangerous.
The report also documented the continued imprisonment of journalists. As of December 1, 2025, RSF counted 503 journalists jailed across 47 countries. The most repressive states were: China – 121 imprisoned, Russia – 48 imprisoned and Myanmar – 47 imprisoned.
Other organisations use different metrics. UNESCO reported a higher death toll, documenting 91 journalist killings in 2025.
RSF’s findings add new urgency to global calls for accountability and protection for reporters, especially in war zones where media workers continue to face unprecedented threats.