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December 10, 2024 – General –
In its 2024 year-end report, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) confirmed that 104 journalists and media workers were killed worldwide, making it one of the deadliest years for the profession in over a decade. More than half of these deaths occurred in the Middle East, with Gaza accounting for 55 fatalities—the highest ever recorded in a single territory for a single year.
The figures reflect the extreme risks facing journalists in conflict zones, particularly in Gaza, where Israeli military operations and airstrikes have devastated local media infrastructure. Since the escalation of violence in October 2023, over 138 Palestinian journalists have been killed, many while identified as press. The IFJ, along with numerous press freedom groups and international watchdogs, has condemned these killings as part of a broader pattern of targeting and impunity.
Beyond Gaza, other high-risk regions included the Asia-Pacific, with 20 journalist deaths reported in countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, and the Philippines. Africa recorded 10 fatalities, the Americas 6, and Europe 4. Late-year updates raised the total death toll to 122, as additional killings were verified in Palestine and Syria.
The IFJ has warned that the global trend points to a deteriorating environment for press freedom. Tim Dawson, IFJ’s deputy general secretary, described the death toll in Gaza as “off the scale,” underscoring the lack of accountability for those responsible. The Guardian’s data analysis corroborates this, showing that journalists are increasingly being silenced in conflict zones, often with no legal consequences for perpetrators.
UNESCO and the Committee to Protect Journalists have joined the IFJ in calling for international investigations and urgent reforms. The IFJ continues to push for the adoption of a UN Convention on the Protection of Journalists, aimed at creating legally binding standards for states to uphold journalist safety and punish violations.
As Gaza becomes the deadliest conflict zone for journalists in modern history, 2024 stands as a grim reminder that without decisive international action, those who risk their lives to report the truth will remain unprotected—and too often, unheard.
Reference –
https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2024/dec/23/palestine-journalists-killed
