The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate's Freedoms Committee says Israel's campaign of violence against Palestinian journalists, which began in October 2023, intensified sharply in 2025 with dozens of media workers specifically targeted, resulting in widespread deaths, injuries and long-term disabilities.
What the Syndicate Says
In a statement released on Friday, the committee accused Israeli forces of pursuing a deliberate policy of “silencing the press through killing, injury and permanent disability.” It said operations have shifted from restricting journalistic work to using lethal force to neutralise the press, prevent documentation of alleged abuses, and undermine Palestinian narratives on the ground.
“The Israeli occupation shifted from a policy of restricting journalistic work to a policy of neutralising the press through deadly force, with the aim of silencing witnesses, preventing the documentation of crimes, and undermining the Palestinian narrative on the ground.”
Casualties, Injuries and Incidents
By the end of November 2025 the Freedoms Committee reported that at least 76 Palestinian journalists had been killed or wounded by Israeli forces. The committee described that figure as a "dangerous indicator of the escalating targeting policy" and said journalists are now "confirmed and frequent targets," not merely possible collateral victims.
The syndicate cited several high-profile deaths and targeted strikes inside Gaza, including the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif, and recalled previous high-profile cases such as the 2022 killing of Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh in the occupied West Bank.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) published a December report finding that Israel killed more journalists in 2025 than any other country, describing 2025 as "a year of repeated mass targeting, particularly in tents, hospitals, and press gatherings." The syndicate also cited monitoring site Shireen.ps, which reports nearly 300 journalists and media workers killed in Gaza over 26 months, an average of roughly 12 per month.
Life-Altering Harm and Repeated Targeting
The Freedoms Committee documented a sharp rise in life-changing injuries, including amputations, paralysis and blindness after strikes to the head, neck, chest and abdomen. Examples listed by the syndicate include journalist Akram Dalloul (lost his sight), Jamal Badah (leg amputated), and Muhammad Fayeq (left paralysed).
The committee said many of the attacks occurred while reporters were clearly identifiable—wearing protective gear and press badges—and while working at recognised media gathering points. It also noted that some threats came from settlers as well as from the Israeli army.
Notable Incidents
In April and May 2025 the committee described a phase of intense assaults on media infrastructure. On April 7 and 8, Israeli strikes hit a journalists' tent at Nasser Hospital, wounding nine reporters and destroying equipment; several of those injured later died, the committee said. It characterised the repeated use of heavy weaponry against media spaces as "amounting to a complex war crime and a collective targeting of the press."
Allegations of International Crimes and Calls for Accountability
Muhammad al-Lahham, head of the Committee for Freedoms, said the scale and consistency of the attacks amount to international crimes. "The events of the past year constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, and represent a systematic targeting of a protected group, journalists, within the framework of an official policy to silence the media by force," he said.
The syndicate and press freedom organisations have condemned the strikes and called for independent investigations. The statement notes that, to date, Israeli authorities have not arrested or charged troops in relation to killings of journalists—a point the syndicate cites as evidence of impunity.
Context and International Reaction
International press freedom groups, including RSF, have warned that Palestine has become one of the most dangerous places in the world to practise journalism. The syndicate's report aims to document patterns of repeated targeting and long-term harm to press freedom and to urge international bodies to investigate alleged crimes and hold perpetrators accountable.
