Palestine was the most dangerous place for journalists in 2025, with 56 media workers killed

(Patria) - According to a report by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Palestine was the most dangerous place for journalists in 2025, while the Middle East as a whole is the riskiest region for media workers.

Out of a total of 128 journalists killed worldwide last year, as many as 56 were Palestinians. The entire Middle East region recorded 74 deaths, accounting for more than half of all media workers killed.

Africa followed with 18 deaths, Asia and the Pacific with 15, the Americas with 11, while Europe recorded 10 deaths. Most of the victims were men, but there were also ten women among them.

“128 journalists killed in one year is not just a statistic; it is a global crisis. These deaths are a brutal reminder that journalists are targeted, simply for doing their jobs,” said IFJ Secretary General Anthony Bellanger.

The largest number of those killed are Palestinian media workers – 56 in 2025. Yemen followed with 13, Ukraine with eight, and Sudan with six deaths. The IFJ specifically highlighted the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif by Israeli forces on August 10 as symbolic of the suffering of Palestinian journalists. Al Jazeera reporter Mohammed Qreiqeh, cameramen Ibrahim Zaher and Mohammed Noufal, freelance cameraman Momen Aliwa, and freelance journalist Mohammed al-Khalidi were also killed in the attack.

The IFJ also cited the Israeli attack in September on a newspaper office in Yemen as one of the most serious attacks on media space, when 13 journalists and media workers and more than 20 other people were killed.

Of the total number of deaths, nine journalists died in accidents, while the others – including two in Syria and two in Iran – were “deliberately killed for their work”.

Although the Middle East was the most dangerous region for journalists for the third year in a row, Asia and the Pacific recorded the highest number of imprisoned journalists. The most cases were in China and Hong Kong – a total of 143 journalists – followed by Myanmar with 49 and Vietnam with 37 detained media workers.