Israel Linked to Two-Thirds of Journalist Deaths in 2025

The vast majority of these victims were Palestinian media workers in Gaza. Beyond the sheer volume of casualties, the report highlights a shift in tactics, noting an increase in the use of drone strikes against journalists. Israel accounted for more than 70% of the 39 documented instances of reporters killed by drones this year.

The scale of these losses stands in stark contrast to other active war zones. While conflicts in Sudan and Ukraine have claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, the number of journalists killed in those regions remains significantly lower, with nine and four deaths recorded respectively. This marks the third consecutive year that Israel has been identified as the leading killer of journalists by major press freedom monitors, including Reporters Without Borders.

Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists, warned that the global rise in such deaths is driven by a persistent culture of impunity. In 2025 alone, the group documented 47 cases of targeted killings—the highest number in a decade—yet no perpetrators have been held accountable. Ginsberg emphasized that attacks on the media serve as a leading indicator of broader threats to fundamental freedoms, arguing that the failure to conduct transparent investigations leaves all reporters at risk.