IFJ Reports Record 128 Journalists Killed in 2025

A record 128 journalists and media workers were killed worldwide in 2025, marking another deadly year for the profession amid escalating dangers in conflict zones and repressive environments, according to the International Federation of Journalists.

The Belgium-based organization released its annual Killed List on Wednesday, highlighting the Middle East and Arab World as the most perilous region, with 74 deaths accounting for nearly 58 percent of the global total. Of those, 56 occurred in Palestine, primarily linked to coverage of the ongoing war in Gaza. The report revised an earlier preliminary count of 111 killings after confirming 17 additional cases following December 10. It also noted nine accidental deaths and 10 women among the victims.

Palestinian media professionals faced the highest risks, with the IFJ pointing to a targeted attack on August 10 as emblematic of the threats. Al Jazeera reporter Anas Al-Sharif, 28, was killed along with five colleagues—Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, Momen Aliwa, and Mohammed Al-Khalidi—in a strike on a journalists' tent outside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. In Yemen, 13 journalists died, including 13 media workers...