Israel is responsible for 43% of journalists killed globally in 2025, with 29 Palestinian reporters slain in Gaza, making it the worst enemy of the press.
PARIS: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said Israel was responsible for nearly half of all journalists killed worldwide this year.
In its annual report released on Tuesday, the media freedom group said Israeli forces killed 29 Palestinian reporters in Gaza, accounting for 43% of the global total of 67 deaths.
This makes Israel “the worst enemy of journalists” for the third consecutive year, according to RSF data.
The deadliest single attack was a so-called “double-tap” strike on a south Gaza hospital on August 25, which killed five journalists.
Two contributors to international news agencies Reuters and the Associated Press were among those killed in that attack.
Since hostilities began in Gaza in October 2023, nearly 220 journalists have died, the report states.
Foreign reporters remain unable to travel to Gaza independently, accessing it only on tightly controlled tours organised by the Israeli military.
Elsewhere, 2025 was the deadliest year in Mexico in at least three years, with nine journalists killed.
This is despite pledges from left-wing President Claudia Sheinbaum to help protect them.
War-wracked Ukraine and Sudan were also among the most dangerous countries, with three and four journalists killed respectively.
The global death toll of 67 is slightly up from 66 in 2024 but remains below the average of around 80 killed per year since 2003.
The peak was 142 journalists killed in 2012, largely linked to the Syrian civil war.
The RSF report also counts journalists imprisoned worldwide for their work, with China, Russia and Myanmar the most repressive countries.
As of December 1, 503 journalists were detained in 47 countries across the world.
China leads with 121 journalists imprisoned, followed by Russia (48) and Myanmar (47).
