Israel killed one-third of all journalists who ‘died unnaturally’ this year

The Israeli army was behind one-third of all unnatural deaths of journalists around the world in 2024, according to a report released today by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Anadolu has reported.

The RSF’s annual report on the state of press freedom highlighted the alarming risks faced by journalists worldwide. It revealed that 550 journalists were detained, 55 were held hostage and 95 were reported missing this year.

A total of 54 journalists were killed in 2024, the highest figure in the past five years, with most deaths occurring in conflict zones. Of those, one in three were killed during Israeli bombardments, including 16 in Gaza and two in Lebanon. RSF has sufficient evidence to show that at least 40 were targeted deliberately for their journalism.

Since October 2023, more than 145 journalists have been killed in Gaza, with at least 35 deliberately targeted or killed by Israeli forces while on duty, the report stated.

RSF said it has compelling evidence that dozens of journalists in Gaza and Lebanon were targeted due to their profession, adding that it has submitted four war crime complaints against the Israeli army to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Israel has also emerged as the world’s third-largest jailer of journalists this year, according to the report.

Commenting on the killings, RSF Director-General Thibaut Bruttin said: “Most of these reporters’ identities were easily verifiable, and their status should have offered them protection. Yet, they were killed in deliberate attacks by Israel, ignoring international conventions.”

Bruttin also criticised the ban on foreign media entering Gaza, describing it as a critical blow to press freedom. “In 2024, Gaza became the most dangerous place for journalists, where even the practice of journalism faces the threat of extinction,” he said.

READ: Amnesty honours Gaza journalists with 2024 Human Rights Defenders Award