WASHINGTON: A total of 129 journalists and media workers were killed around the world in 2025, according to a new report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Citing the report, Agence France-Presse said Israel was responsible for nearly two-thirds of the recorded journalist deaths. More than 60 percent of the victims were Palestinians covering events in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military has stated that journalists were not deliberately targeted. The CPJ report found that more than three-quarters of the deaths occurred during armed conflicts, with a sharp rise in the use of drone strikes against journalists. Of 39 documented drone attacks, 28 were attributed to Israel in Gaza and five to the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan. In Ukraine, four journalists were killed in Russian military drone attacks, the highest annual figure since 15 journalists were killed in 2022. The committee warned that the lack of transparent investigations and the continued culture of impunity are placing journalists at greater risk. Jodie Ginsberg, CPJ’s chief executive, said: “When journalists are killed for their reporting, we are all at risk.” The report also documented cases of journalists killed in Mexico, the Philippines, India, Bangladesh, and Peru while covering corruption and organized crime.
