NEW YORK (Agencies): In a shocking revelation, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has reported that the Israeli army was responsible for one-third of all unnatural deaths of journalists in 2024. Out of the 54 journalists killed worldwide while on duty or due to their profession, 18 were killed by Israeli forces—16 in Gaza and two in Lebanon.
RSF has described this situation as an “unprecedented bloodbath” and has filed four complaints with the International Criminal Court (ICC) for “war crimes committed against journalists by the Israeli army”. The report highlights that Palestine has become the most dangerous country for journalists, recording a higher death toll than any other country over the past five years.
Israel has denied intentionally targeting journalists but acknowledges that some have been killed in airstrikes on military targets. Government spokesman David Mercer stated, “We don’t accept these figures. We don’t believe they are correct.”
The RSF report also noted a rise in detained journalists, with 550 imprisoned worldwide as of December 1, 2024, up from 513 the previous year. The highest numbers are in China, Myanmar, and Israel.