A total of 54 journalists, including 5 from Bangladesh, were killed worldwide in 2024 either while carrying out their duties or because of their profession, according to the annual report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
In the report, released on Thursday (12 December), the press freedom organisation attributed the deaths of 18 journalists this year to Israeli armed forces, with 16 fatalities occurring in Gaza and two in Lebanon.
"Palestine remains the most dangerous country for journalists, registering a higher death toll than any other nation over the past five years," RSF noted in its report, which includes data up to 1 December.
The organisation has lodged four complaints with the International Criminal Court (ICC) citing "war crimes committed against journalists by the Israeli army."
RSF reported that over 145 journalists have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since the conflict began in October 2023, with 35 actively working at the time of their deaths. The scale of the killings was described as "an unprecedented bloodbath."
In a separate report released on Tuesday, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) stated that 104 journalists were killed globally in 2024, with more than half of these deaths occurring in Gaza.
The discrepancy in figures arises from differing methodologies: RSF includes only cases where a direct link to professional activity has been established.
Israel refutes claims of deliberately targeting journalists.
"We don't accept these figures. We don't believe they are correct," said Israeli government spokesman David Mercer at a press conference on Wednesday (11 December).
While acknowledging that journalists have died in airstrikes on military targets, Israel denies intentional harm.
After Gaza, the most hazardous locations for journalists in 2024 were Pakistan, with seven fatalities, followed by Bangladesh and Mexico, with 5 deaths each.
In comparison, the number of journalist fatalities worldwide during the same period in 2023 was 45.
RSF's report also highlighted the rising number of imprisoned journalists, which reached 550 globally as of 1 December, compared to 513 in the previous year.
The countries with the highest numbers of detained journalists are China (124, including 11 in Hong Kong), Myanmar (61), and Israel (41).
Additionally, 55 journalists remain held hostage, with two abductions reported this year.
Nearly half, totalling 25, are being held by the Islamic State group. A further 95 journalists are classified as missing, including four new cases reported in 2024.
