“At This Rate, Journalists in Gaza Will Vanish”—RSF Sounds the Alarm

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has issued a stark warning: since October 7, over 130 journalists have been killed in Gaza—at least 32 while reporting—a number so high that RSF fears the enclave may soon be without frontline media workers. Across Gaza, press vests no longer offer protection; instead, they have become targets.

On September 26, RSF coordinated flash protests in ten countries, protesting the relentless killings and demanding urgent safeguards for journalists and granting safe access for foreign press. Director-General Thibaut Bruttin underscored that the “massacre of journalists…threatens to create a complete media blackout in the blockaded enclave,” with the international public’s right to free, independent information at stake.

The pace of deaths has only accelerated. CPJ and IFJ data confirm this is the deadliest period for journalists worldwide, with around 178–185 killed—mainly Palestinians—as of mid‑2025 . UNESCO and human rights bodies have condemned the pattern as collective punishment and indicative of systemic targeting.

Beyond fatalities, RSF highlights the destruction of media infrastructure and widespread communication blackouts. Many journalists have lost their homes and equipment, and foreign press access to Gaza remains severely constrained. Israeli officials have even labeled some Palestinian reporters as “combatants,” an accusation RSF and other rights groups say undermines international humanitarian protections and enables further violence .

Journalists like Al Jazeera’s Wael al‑Dahdouh—who lost his wife, children, and grandson—continue working under unimaginable grief and extreme danger, embodying the peril and resilience of Gaza’s shrinking media corps.