Record Number of Journalists Killed in 2025, Israel Responsible for Majority

A shocking 129 journalists were killed worldwide in 2025, two-thirds by the Israeli military. Gaza bore the heaviest toll, highlighting a rising global crisis in press freedom and impunity.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) documented the deaths of 129 journalists and media workers worldwide in 2025. Two-thirds of these killings were carried out by the Israeli military. This marks the highest annual toll recorded since the CPJ began tracking such cases in 1992.

The CPJ report, released Wednesday in New York, highlights Israel’s sole responsibility for over two-thirds of all journalist deaths. The military carried out an unprecedented number of targeted killings, exceeding those by any other government force globally.

Most victims were Palestinian journalists and media workers inside Gaza.

The 2025 report shows that more than three-quarters of journalist killings occurred in conflict zones. Four journalists were killed in Ukraine and nine in Sudan during the same year. Still, these numbers remain very low compared to those murdered by Israel.