Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an international organization working to protect journalists' rights, reported that 54 journalists lost their lives globally in 2024 while performing their professional duties. Among them, five journalists were killed in Bangladesh, placing the country third on the list of most dangerous nations for journalists.

The report, published on Thursday and cited by AFP, identified Gaza as the deadliest region for journalists, followed by Pakistan, where seven journalists were killed. Bangladesh and Mexico share the third spot, with five journalists killed in each country.

The RSF report highlighted an increase in journalist deaths compared to 2023, when 45 journalists were killed. Additionally, 55 journalists are currently being held hostage, with 25 of them detained by the Islamic State (IS). The report also noted that 95 journalists are missing globally in 2024, with four new cases reported this year.

The report labeled Palestine as the most dangerous country for journalists, stating that the number of journalists killed there in 2024 surpasses that of any other country in the last five years. One-third of the deaths were attributed to actions by Israeli forces.
RSF noted that 18 journalist deaths this year were directly linked to Israeli actions, with 16 killed in Gaza and two in Lebanon. Following the outbreak of conflict in Gaza in October 2023, more than 145 journalists were killed by Israeli forces, including 35 who were killed while covering news events.
RSF has submitted four complaints to the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing the Israeli military of committing "war crimes against journalists."

Meanwhile, a separate report by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), published on Tuesday, revealed that 104 journalists were killed worldwide in 2024, with more than half of the deaths occurring in Gaza.

The discrepancy in the death toll between RSF and IFJ reports is attributed to differences in data collection methodologies. Israel has denied targeting journalists intentionally but acknowledged that some journalists might have been killed during airstrikes on military targets.

BOB Post