Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has described 2025 as “The Year of Journalism’s Collapse,” noting that targeting media professionals has transgressed all boundaries. According to the organization, the Gaza Strip has become the most dangerous region in the world for journalists.
The report revealed alarming data reflecting the scale of the risks faced in uncovering the truth this year:
- 67 Journalists: The total number of media professionals killed worldwide in 2025.
- Approximately 50% of the killings occurred in the Gaza Strip alone, where these deaths were directly linked to practicing journalism and covering events on the ground.
- An increase in violations: The report documented a sharp deterioration in the protection of journalists in conflict zones and open warfare.
Europe was not detached; the organization observed alarming phenomena, including:
Political polarization is marked by escalating hate speech against journalists and attacks on them while covering protests.
Arbitrary lawsuits, characterized by the increased use of the judiciary to silence media professionals through "malicious lawsuits."
The transformation of social media platforms into arenas for inciting hostility against the press and defaming its practitioners.
The Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism (AOCE) has emphasized that the 2025 figures constitute a “disgrace” and demand urgent international action.
By focusing on dozens of journalists in Gaza, the Observatory warns of systematic efforts to suppress the Palestinian narrative. AOCE affirms that such practices represent a blatant assault on freedom of expression and an attempt to prevent the world from identifying the true perpetrators.
Furthermore, AOCE stresses that any assault or legal intimidation of journalists undermines the core tenets of democracy. This reality necessitates the immediate activation of international institutions to safeguard journalists and hold those who target them accountable in order to prevent the imposition of facts "by force" rather than verbally.