Israel ‘Worst Enemy’ of Journalists, Killing Nearly Half of Total Slain Globally – RSF

December 9, 2025 News
Palestinian journalist Osama al-Arbid was pulled from the rubble of his house. (Photo: via social media)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

The report stated that since October 2023, nearly 220 journalists have been killed by the Israeli army in Gaza, 65 of whom “were murdered due to their profession,” according to RSF information.

The Israeli occupation army “is the worst enemy of journalists,” having killed nearly half of the total number of 67 journalists slain worldwide over the past year, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has said in a new report.

“The Israeli army is responsible for over 43 % — nearly half — of crimes committed against journalists over the past twelve months,” RSF said, with 29 journalists killed in the Gaza Strip alone between December 2024 and December 2025.

Strike on Al-Nasser Hospital

The report noted that “In one particularly harrowing case, on 25 August 2025, an Israeli strike targeting a building within the al-Nasser medical complex — known to house a workspace for journalists — killed Reuters photographer Hossam al-Masri.”

Journalist Mariam Abu Daqqa — who worked for several outlets, including The Independent Arabia and Associated Press — visited the scene to report on the rescue operations, it added.

“Eight minutes after the first strike, she was killed by a second attack along with two other journalists, freelancer Moaz Abu Taha and photographer for Al Jazeera Mohamad Salama,” the report continued.

Israel Portraying Journalists as “Terrorists”

RSF said that under Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, the Israeli army “has carried out a massacre — unprecedented in recent history — of the Palestinian press.”

“To justify its crimes, the Israeli military has mounted a global propaganda campaign to spread baseless accusations that portray Palestinian journalists as terrorists,” it emphasized.

A Crime against Truth: Israel’s Slaughter of Journalists Can’t Go Unpunished

The report stated that since October 2023, nearly 220 journalists have been killed by the Israeli army in Gaza, 65 of whom “were murdered due to their profession,” according to RSF information.

“In 2025, after more than two years of a blockade on the Gaza Strip, this repression of the press continued with impunity,” the global media watchdog stressed.

Top 10 Largest Prisons for Journalists

Israel is also “once again among the world’s 10 largest prisons for journalists,” with 20 Palestinian journalists having been detained, as of December 1, 2025.

Guterres at UN Seminar: Gaza ‘Deadliest Conflict for Journalists in Decades’

Sixteen of them were arrested over the past two years in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, the report noted. Only three journalists were released on October 13 as part of the ceasefire agreement: Alaa al-Sarraj, Emad Zakaria Badr al-Ifranji and Shady Abu Sedo, all of whom “were unlawfully arrested” by Israeli occupation forces in the Strip.

A total of 503 journalists remain behind bars worldwide.

‘Key Witnesses to History’

RSF emphasized that the journalists killed worldwide were targeted “because of their work” in 22 countries.

“Key witnesses to history, journalists have gradually become collateral victims, inconvenient eyewitnesses, bargaining chips, pawns in diplomatic games, men and women to be ‘eliminated,’” Thibaut Bruttin, RSF Director-General, said in a statement.

“We must be wary of false notions about reporters: no one gives their lives for journalism — it is taken from them; journalists do not just die — they are killed,” Bruttin added.

IFJ, SNJ File Complaint in France over Press Restrictions, War Crimes in Gaza 

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) has said that Israeli occupation forces and illegal Israeli Jewish settlers have also carried out 57 violations and assaults against Palestinian journalists across the occupied West Bank and Gaza during November, the Beirut-based Al Mayadeen reported.

The organization warned that the incidents reflect a “continued systematic escalation aimed at preventing media crews from carrying out their professional duties,” the report added.

Attacks by Illegal Settlers

The report cited the PJS Committee on Press Freedoms as saying that November witnessed “dangerous patterns directly targeting journalistic work,” including the use of live fire, rubber bullets, arbitrary detentions, and the systematic obstruction of coverage.

Palestinian Cameraman Shot and Wounded by Israeli Forces in West Bank 

At least two journalists, one in Tulkarm and another in Gaza, were injured by live ammunition and rubber bullets fired by Israeli occupation forces while they were on duty, the report stated. The report highlighted that illegal Israeli settlers “were responsible for 22 of the month’s most violent assaults.”

These incidents “included preventing journalists from accessing scenes, chasing press crews, beating them with sticks, hurling stones at them, and threatening them with weapons.”

Gaza Genocide

Starting on October 7, 2023, the Israeli military, with American support, launched a genocidal war against the people of Gaza. This campaign has so far resulted in the deaths of over 70,000 Palestinians, with more than 170,000 wounded. The vast majority of the population has been displaced, and the destruction of infrastructure is unprecedented since World War II. Thousands of people are still missing.

‘Wiped Out Entirely’ – Number of Israeli Violations since Gaza Ceasefire Revealed

In addition to the military assault, the Israeli blockade has caused a man-made famine, leading to the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians—mostly children—with hundreds of thousands more at risk.

Despite widespread international condemnation, little has been done to hold Israel accountable. The nation is currently under investigation for genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.

(PC, Al Mayadeen)

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