The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) announced on Wednesday that 2024 has experienced an unprecedented number of journalist fatalities worldwide, with at least 124 reported aross 18 different countries.

This number marks the highest annual death toll for reporters and media personnel since the CPJ began its monitoring efforts over three decades ago.

According to the CPJ, nearly 70% of these deaths were attributed to the actions of Israeli forces during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza, with 85 journalists reported to have lost their lives in the area.

The organization criticized Israel for allegedly obstructing investigations into these deaths, placing blame on journalists, and failing to take responsibility for the killings.

In response to these allegations, the Israeli military claimed it had not received adequate information to validate the complaints and stressed its dedication to implementing operational measures to minimize harm to journalists and civilians.

The military reiterated that it has never deliberately targeted journalists.

The number of journalists killed in 2024 sharply contrasts with earlier years, where 102 journalists were killed in 2023 and 69 in 2022. The previous peak occurred in 2007, which recorded 113 fatalities, mainly due to the Iraq War.

Alongside the deaths in Gaza, Sudan and Pakistan had the second highest number of journalist fatalities last year, as reported by the CPJ.

CEO Jodie Ginsberg commented that these statistics reflect the most dangerous circumstances for journalists in the history recorded by the CPJ.

The report pointed out a substantial rise in targeted killings of journalists, with a minimum of 24 identified as having been intentionally killed for their journalism in countries including Haiti, Mexico, Myanmar, and Sudan.

Among these cases, the CPJ is currently investigating at least 10 instances involving alleged targeted killings by Israeli forces, as well as 20 additional cases in which it suspects journalists were specifically targeted.

The context for these deaths includes Israel's military response to the October 2023 attack by Hamas, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 individuals, largely civilians, along with around 251 individuals taken hostage, according to Israeli sources.

Furthermore, Palestinian health authorities have reported the deaths of over 48,000 individuals, primarily civilians, due to Israel's retaliatory measures.

As of early 2025, the CPJ has reported that at least six journalists and media professionals have already been killed this year.