PARIS: The global landscape for journalistic safety has reached alarming levels, with a third of the 54 journalists killed worldwide in 2024 losing their lives in occupied territories, primarily due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Among these, 18 journalists met their tragic end in these regions, underscoring the perilous conditions faced by media professionals in conflict zones.
According to Qatar News Agency, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an international non-governmental organization advocating for press freedom, released its annual report for 2024, which provides a grim account of the threats journalists face. The report specifically points to the Israeli occupation forces as being responsible for the deaths of 18 journalists: 16 in the Gaza Strip and 2 in Lebanon. The findings highlight Palestine as the most dangerous country for journalists, citing it as the location with the highest journalist death toll over the past five years.
The report further states that since the onset of the Israeli aggre
ssion on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, more than 145 journalists have been killed, with 35 of them actively working at the time of their deaths. RSF characterized the current situation as “an unprecedented bloodbath,” emphasizing the severity and frequency of these incidents.
In response to these alarming figures, RSF has initiated legal actions by filing four complaints with the International Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged war crimes committed by Israeli forces against journalists. This move aims to hold those responsible accountable and to seek justice for the targeted media personnel.
Complementing RSF’s findings, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) also reported earlier that a total of 104 journalists have been killed worldwide in 2024, with more than half of these deaths occurring in Gaza. The reports collectively paint a stark picture of the heightened risks for journalists in conflict zones, particularly in the occupied territories, and call for immediate international attention an
d action.