Israel kills more journalists than any nation on record: Media watchdog

In 2025, Israel killed at least 84 journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), making it the deadliest year on record for media workers. The CPJ's annual report, released on Wednesday, found that Israel was responsible for more journalist deaths than any other nation since the organization began tracking in 1992. Out of 129 journalist killings worldwide in 2025, Israel was responsible for over two-thirds. Most of the journalists killed by Israel were Palestinian, but 31 staff in Yemeni newspaper offices were also killed in Israeli air strikes. The CPJ noted a "persistent culture of impunity" for attacks on the press by the Israeli military and cautioned that the true number of targeted killings may be higher due to press restrictions and humanitarian difficulties.

In 2025, Palestine was the deadliest place for journalists, with 56 Palestinian media professionals killed, according to a report by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The Middle East was the most dangerous region overall, accounting for 74 of the 128 journalist deaths worldwide. Yemen, Ukraine, and Sudan followed Palestine in the number of journalists killed, with 13, 8, and 6 deaths respectively. The IFJ highlighted the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif by Israeli forces as emblematic of the dangers faced by journalists in Palestine. The report emphasizes that these deaths are a global crisis, indicating journalists are targeted for their work.