Press Under Fire: IOF Responsible for 67 Journalist Killings in Gaza

By Staff, Agencies

A new report by Reporters Without Borders [RSF] confirms that 67 journalists were killed worldwide between December 1, 2024, and December 1, 2025, nearly half of them in the Gaza Strip, where they were killed by "Israeli" occupation forces [IOF].

The organization warns that press freedom violations in 2025 have sharply increased, particularly in war zones and under repressive regimes.

"Journalists do not die, they are killed," RSF declared in its annual report, highlighting the growing danger faced by media professionals worldwide.

According to RSF, the significant rise in journalist deaths this year is largely due to the IOF's targeting of journalists in the Gaza Strip.

The report states that 29 journalists were killed in the Palestinian territories over the past 12 months while performing their duties, bringing the total number since October 2023 to at least 220, including those killed outside the scope of their professional work.

"The ‘Israeli’ army is the worst enemy of journalists," the organization stated.

Anne Bocandet, RSF’s editorial director, said many of the killings were the result of deliberate targeting. "There are no stray bullets... it is indeed a deliberate targeting of journalists because they are conveying to the world what is happening in these areas," she told AFP.

IOF and illegal settlers have also carried out 57 violations and assaults against Palestinian journalists across the occupied West Bank and Gaza during November, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate [PJS] reported on Saturday.

The syndicate warned that the incidents reflect a “continued systematic escalation aimed at preventing media crews from carrying out their professional duties,” noting that these patterns pose a direct threat to journalists’ lives.

According to the PJS Committee on Press Freedoms, November witnessed “dangerous patterns directly targeting journalistic work,” including the use of live fire, rubber bullets, arbitrary detentions, and the systematic obstruction of coverage.

Two journalists, one in Tulkarm and another in Gaza, were injured by "Israeli" live ammunition and rubber bullets while covering events in the field.

The report highlighted that illegal "Israeli" settlers were responsible for 22 of the month’s most violent assaults. These included preventing journalists from accessing scenes, chasing press crews, beating them with sticks, hurling stones at them, and threatening them with weapons.