World Press Freedom Day 2025: At least 217 journalists killed in Gaza

World Press Freedom Day, observed annually on May 3, marks a global call to protect journalists and uphold the right to free expression.
 
In 2025, the spotlight falls on Palestinian journalists, who face extraordinary risks in Gaza and the occupied territories, where Israel's actions in Gaza have made journalism a deadly profession.
UNESCO’s 2025 theme, focusing on journalism in crisis zones, underscores the catastrophic toll on media workers in Palestine, where targeted killings, detentions, and destruction of media infrastructure have created a chilling environment for truth-telling.

With foreign media largely barred from Gaza, Palestinian reporters have become the world’s primary source of on-the-ground coverage, often at the cost of their lives.
 
Since the escalation of aggression on October 7, 2023, at least 217 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza, the vast majority Palestinian, according to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate.
 
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) confirms 176 deaths as of May 2, 2025, marking this as the deadliest period for journalists since CPJ began tracking in 1992. In 2024, 55 journalists were killed in Palestine, comprising over half of the global total of 104, per the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
 
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reports that at least 35 of these killings were deliberate, citing cases like Al Jazeera’s Samer Abu Daqqa, killed in a drone strike, and Palestine Today’s Hilmi al-Faqaawi, burned alive in a targeted tent attack in April 2025.
 
Women journalists, including 16 killed, have not been spared, with figures like Fatima Hassouna dying in airstrikes alongside family members.
 
Detentions are equally staggering. As of May 2025, 55 journalists remain in ''Israel'i' custody out of 177 detained since October 2023, with 75 arrests recorded in that period, according to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate. RSF notes 'Israel' ranks among the world’s top jailers of journalists, with 41 detained as of December 2024.
 
Two journalists, Nidal al-Wahidi and Haitham Abdelwahed, have been missing since their detention in October 2023, with no updates on their fate despite appeals from human rights groups. Detained journalists report beatings, humiliation, and sexual violence, often held under “administrative detention” without charges. In the West Bank, arrests like that of veteran journalist Ali al-Samoudi in April 2025 highlight ongoing repression.
 
Palestinian journalists work in near-impossible conditions. 'Israel'’s ban on independent foreign media access forces local reporters to bear the burden of coverage amidst airstrikes, internet shutdowns, and destroyed infrastructure. Over 90% of Gaza’s journalists lack protective gear, and 48 media facilities have been hit or razed.
 
UN experts and RSF have labeled these attacks potential war crimes, with RSF filing complaints with the International Criminal Court. Social media platforms, a lifeline for reporting, are also weaponized, with over 320 digital violations against Palestinian journalists recorded in April 2025 alone.
 
Despite the dangers, Palestinian journalists remain resolute. “We are the eyes and ears of the world,” said Gaza reporter Shuruq As’ad, echoing the sentiment of many.
 
The 2024 UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize honored Gaza’s journalists for their bravery, a recognition reiterated in 2025. Yet, the loss is profound: families shattered, voices silenced, and a generation of storytellers decimated.
 
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate reports 70 journalists have lost close family members, compounding their trauma.
 
This World Press Freedom Day, the international community faces urgent demands: end impunity for attacks on journalists, open Gaza to foreign media, and release detained reporters. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate calls for accountability, reconstruction of media infrastructure, and global support to sustain journalism under siege.
 
As RSF’s Jonathan Dagher stated, “These are not numbers; they are voices 'Israel' has silenced.” The world must act to protect those risking everything to report the truth.