Palestine was the deadliest place to be a journalist in 2025: Media union

Of 128 journalists killed globally past year, 56 were Palestinian, the International Federation of Journalists said.

Palestine was the deadliest spot to enactment arsenic a writer successful 2025, with the Middle East arsenic a full the astir unsafe portion for media professionals, according to a planetary writer union.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said the portion accounted for 74 deaths past twelvemonth – much than fractional of the 128 journalists and media workers killed – successful a caller study released connected Wednesday.

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The Middle East was followed by Africa with 18 deaths, Asia Pacific (15), the Americas (11) and Europe (10), according to the report. The immense bulk of those killed were men, but the database included 10 women.

“128 journalists killed successful a azygous twelvemonth is not conscionable a statistic; it is simply a planetary crisis. These deaths are a brutal reminder that journalists are being targeted with impunity, simply for doing their job,” IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said.

Palestinian journalists were the biggest cohort of victims: 56 Palestinian media professionals were killed successful 2025. Yemen followed, with 13 deaths, Ukraine, with eight, and Sudan, with six, according to the IFJ.

The Paris-based media national cited Israel’s sidesplitting of Al Jazeera writer Anas al-Sharif arsenic the astir “emblematic” of the 56 journalists murdered successful Palestine past twelvemonth covering Israel’s genocidal warfare connected Gaza. Al-Sharif, 28, was killed connected August 10 alongside respective colleagues erstwhile Israeli forces struck a media structure extracurricular Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital.

The onslaught besides killed Al Jazeera analogous Mohammed Qreiqeh, Al Jazeera camera operators Ibrahim Zaher and Mohammed Noufal, freelance camera relation Momen Aliwa and freelance writer Mohammed al-Khalidi.

IFJ besides cited an Israeli onslaught successful aboriginal September connected a Yemeni paper bureau arsenic “one of the worst-ever attacks connected a media office”. Thirteen journalists and media workers astatine the Houthi-affiliated “26 September” paper were killed, on with much than 20 different people.

Another 9 deaths were ruled arsenic accidents, portion others – including 2 journalists successful Syria and 2 successful Iran – were “targeted and killed” due to the fact that of their work, IFJ said.

While the Middle East was the deadliest portion for the 3rd twelvemonth successful a enactment successful 2025, the Asia Pacific accounted for the largest fig of journalists and media workers down bars. Most cases successful 2025 were successful China and Hong Kong, which unneurotic accounted for 143 journalists, followed by 49 successful Myanmar and 37 successful Vietnam.

Europe was different detention hotspot past year, accounting for 149 imprisoned journalists. IFJ attributed the figure, up 40 percent from a twelvemonth earlier, to “intensified repression successful Azerbaijan and Russia”.