Reporters Without Borders: 67 journalists killed in one year

RSF stated on Tuesday that 67 journalists were killed while carrying out their duties or as a direct result of their work during 2025, nearly half of them in the Gaza Strip by Israeli fire.

The annual report explained that the number of journalists who lost their lives has risen due to criminal practices committed by armed forces, both regular and irregular, as well as organized crime gangs, stressing that “journalists do not die; they are killed.”

The report pointed to the continued detention of journalists, noting that 503 are currently imprisoned across 47 countries, including 121 in China, 48 in Russia, and 47 in Burma, while 135 journalists are listed as missing and 20 others classified as kidnapped, mostly in Syria and Yemen.

According to the organization, after the fall of the Baath regime and the rise of HTS to power in large parts of Syria through its military and organizational influence, the group still holds several journalists hostage inside its prisons. RSF called for their immediate release and an end to such practices.

The report stressed that the Israeli army is “the worst enemy of journalists,” documenting the killing of 29 media workers over the past 12 months in the Palestinian territories amid recurring accusations of deliberate targeting; claims Israel counters by asserting it targets Hamas fighters.

RSF also recorded the deaths of journalists in Mexico, Ukraine, and Sudan, noting that most of the victims had been covering local conflicts, reporting on organized crime, and facing direct death threats.

UNESCO reported an even higher toll, stating that 91 journalists have been killed worldwide so far in 2025. 

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ANHA