Global Journalist Deaths Hit Three-Decade High in 2025, Israel Cited as Deadliest in Gaza Conflict
Kathmandu. A total of 129 journalists and media workers were killed worldwide in 2025, with Israel playing the largest role in the deaths of journalists reporting from Gaza, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) stated on Wednesday.
The number of journalist fatalities in 2025 has sharply increased, marking the deadliest year since CPJ began collecting data three decades ago, and the second consecutive year of rising numbers.
CPJ Chief Jodie Ginsberg said in a statement, "The killing of journalists is a risk to us all at a time when access to information is more critical than ever. More than three-quarters of the deaths in 2025 were due to conflict."
Of the 86 journalists killed by Israeli gunfire in 2025, more than 60 percent were Palestinians reporting from Gaza. The Israeli military claims it does not intentionally target journalists.
Journalist deaths also rose in Ukraine and Sudan. CPJ documented 39 incidents involving the use of drones, with Israel killing 28 journalists in Gaza and a paramilitary force killing five in Sudan. Russian military drones killed four journalists in Ukraine. This is the highest annual death toll for journalists in a war zone since 2022.
CPJ stated that journalists are facing increasing risks due to a continuing culture of impunity. Six journalists were killed in Mexico and three in the Philippines. A Bangladeshi journalist was killed for reporting on corruption, and deaths related to organized crime were recorded in India and Peru.
In Saudi Arabia, prominent columnist Turki Al-Jasser was executed by the state. CPJ compared this to the use of 'sham national security and financial crimes' to suppress journalists. This is the first documented case of its kind in the year since the murder of Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
The crisis of press freedom worldwide and the challenges to journalist safety due to war and political pressure have intensified, signaling a threat to both access to information and human rights.
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