WASHINGTON: A record number of journalists were killed around the world last year, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said on Wednesday, adding that Israel was responsible for nearly 70 per cent of the deaths.

At least 124 journalists in 18 countries died in 2024, the deadliest year for reporters and media workers since the committee started recording the numbers more than three decades ago, the CPJ said in a statement.

CPJ said the Israel-Gaza conflict has accounted for the deaths of 85 journalists at the hands of the Israeli military. It said Israel had attempted to stifle investigations into incidents, shift blame onto journalists and ignore its duty to hold people to account for the killings.

The Israeli military said not enough information was provided on the incidents and that it was therefore not able to check them.

The number of journalists and media workers killed in 2024 is up sharply over recent years — 102 were killed in 2023 and 69 in 2022.

Sudan and Pakistan had the second-highest number of journalists killed last year, CPJ’s CEO Jodie Ginsberg said.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2025