Reporters Without Borders reports 67 journalist deaths this year, with Israeli forces accounting for 43 per cent, including 29 Palestinian reporters in Gaza.
Mexico, Ukraine and Sudan also remain highly dangerous for journalists.
503 media workers are imprisoned globally as of December 2025.
RSF Says Israel Responsible For Nearly Half Of All Journalists Killed Worldwide In 2025
Nearly 220 journalists have been killed since the Gaza conflict began in October 2023, while foreign media remain barred from independent access.
Summary
Reporters Without Borders said on Tuesday (December 9) that Israel was responsible for nearly half of all journalists killed worldwide this year, with 29 Palestinian reporters killed by its forces in Gaza.
In its annual report, the Paris-based media freedom group noted that 67 journalists were killed globally this year, a slight rise from 66 in 2024.
Israeli forces accounted for 43 per cent of those deaths, making them "the worst enemy of journalists", RSF said in its report, which covers fatalities recorded over 12 months from December 2024.
The deadliest incident was a so-called "double-tap" strike on a hospital in south Gaza on 25 August, which killed five journalists, including two contributors to the international news agencies Reuters and the Associated Press.
Since the start of the Gaza conflict in October 2023, nearly 220 journalists have been killed, marking Israel as the biggest killer of media workers for three consecutive years, according to RSF data.
Foreign journalists still cannot enter Gaza — except on tightly controlled visits organised by the Israeli military — despite repeated calls from media and press freedom groups for unrestricted access.
In other findings, RSF reported that 2025 was Mexico’s deadliest year for journalists in at least three years, with nine killed there despite pledges of improved protection from left-wing President Claudia Sheinbaum.
War-torn Ukraine (three journalists killed) and Sudan (four) remain among the world’s most dangerous environments for media personnel, RSF said.
The number of journalists killed globally remains far below the 2012 peak of 142 — largely driven by the Syrian civil war — and below the post-2003 average of roughly 80 per year.
The annual report also tracks the number of journalists imprisoned worldwide for their work, with China (121), Russia (48) and Myanmar (47) identified as the most repressive states.
As of 1 December 2025, 503 journalists were detained across 47 countries, the report said.
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