Global Journalist Fatalities 2025: Israel Accounts for Nearly Half of Media Deaths According to RSF Report

The most lethal single incident was the "double-tap" attack on a Gaza hospital in August.

According to Reporters Without Borders' Tuesday report, Israel was responsible for approximately half of all journalist fatalities worldwide this year, with 29 Palestinian reporters killed by Israeli forces in Gaza.

In its annual assessment, the Paris-based media freedom organization reported that the global journalist death toll reached 67 this year, slightly exceeding the 66 recorded in 2024.

Israeli forces accounted for 43 percent of these fatalities, designating them as "the worst enemy of journalists," according to RSF's report documenting deaths over a 12-month period from December 2024.

The deadliest single incident was a "double-tap" strike on a southern Gaza hospital on August 25, which claimed the lives of five journalists, including two contributors to international news agencies Reuters and the Associated Press.

Since hostilities began in Gaza in October 2023, nearly 220 journalists have perished, making Israel the leading cause of journalist deaths worldwide for three consecutive years, according to RSF data.

Foreign journalists remain unable to access Gaza—except through tightly controlled tours organized by the Israeli military—despite calls from media organizations and press freedom groups for independent access.

Elsewhere in the RSF annual report, 2025 was identified as Mexico's deadliest year in at least three years for journalists, with nine killed despite left-wing President Claudia Sheinbaum's promises to enhance their protection.

War-torn Ukraine (three journalists killed) and Sudan (four journalists killed) rank as the other most dangerous countries for reporters globally, according to RSF.

The overall mortality figure last year represents a significant decrease from the peak of 142 journalists killed in 2012, largely connected to the Syrian civil war, and falls below the annual average of approximately 80 deaths since 2003.

The RSF annual report also tracks journalist imprisonments worldwide, identifying China (121), Russia (48), and Myanmar (47) as the most repressive nations, according to RSF figures.

As of December 1, 2025, 503 journalists were detained across 47 countries worldwide, the report stated.