The year 2024 marked a grim milestone for journalists around the world, with at least 124 media staff killed across 18 countries, according to analysis by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). This figure passes the previous record in 2007 when 113 journalists were killed, the majority of those deaths happening during the height of the Iraq War.
Unsurprisingly, one conflict stood out in the latest report: Gaza. About 70 per cent of journalist deaths worldwide in 2024 occurred in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
Journalists at risk in conflicts
In the past five years, the number of armed conflicts has doubled around the world, with much of the violence concentrated in the Middle East. This surge is reflected in the sharp increase in journalist deaths, particularly in Gaza, Sudan, Lebanon and Syria.
The CPJ’s database records the death of a journalist when there are reasonable grounds to believe it was linked to their work. These killings fall into three categories – accidental deaths in conflict zones, casualties sustained during dangerous assignments, and assassinations over reporting. At least 24 journalists were confirmed to have been deliberately attacked in 2024, a figure the CPJ warns could rise as investigations continue.
It classifies these killings as murders. Israel was responsible for the vast majority of killings classified as murders in 2024.
Deliberate attacks on journalists
Among the most high-profile cases was the killing of Palestinian journalist Ismail Al Ghoul, 27. He was killed alongside his colleague, Rami Al Rifi, in July in an Israeli drone strike on their car. Israel previously made unsubstantiated claims that Al Ghoul’s colleague, Hamza Al Dahdouh, was a terrorist, an accusation strongly denied by his family and employer, Al Jazeera.
Wael Al Dahdouh, Hamza’s father and Gaza bureau chief for Al Jazeera, had lost four family members in Israeli attacks and had been attacked several times himself. The CPJ is investigating 20 cases in which journalists may have been the targets of Israeli strikes, which would constitute war crimes under international law.
The CPJ confirmed the killings in Lebanon of media workers Wissam Kassem, Ghassan Najjar and Mohammed Reda in an Israeli air strike. The youngest journalist killed in 2024 was Palestinian freelance photographer Al Hassan Hamad, 18, who died in a drone strike on October 6.
In Sudan, nearly two years of civil war have left tens of thousands dead and millions displaced. The CPJ confirmed that three journalists were killed in connection with their work, while the motive for a fourth death is under investigation.
Why are journalists protected under international law?
Under international humanitarian law, journalists are considered civilians and must not be targets for attacks in armed conflicts. The Geneva Conventions and their additional protocols provide explicit protections for journalists working in war zones. Attacking a journalist is considered a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
The principle of press freedom is also enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which recognise the essential role of journalists in providing independent information during conflicts.
Despite these protections, it has become increasingly difficult to hold those responsible to account. While international legal mechanisms exist, accountability for the killings of journalists is rare. Press advocacy groups, including the CPJ and Reporters Without Borders, continue to push for more substantial legal consequences for those who attack journalists.
