Geneva, 1 May 2026: Since 1 January, 27 journalists have been killed worldwide, disclosed the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) on the eve of World Press Freedom Day observed on 3 May. The global media safety and rights body lamented that the Israeli government alone was responsible for nearly two-thirds of the victims (16 out of 27). ‘We must note the lack of progress in protecting journalists and combating impunity,’ stated Blaise Lempen, president of PEC (pressemblem.ch).
The serious tensions in the Middle East largely explain why the death toll remains high, following record numbers in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Of the 27 victims recorded in the four months since the start of the year, 17 are linked to the conflict in the Middle East, and 16 were killed by Israeli military forces. Specifically, 9 journalists were killed in Lebanon, 6 in the Gaza Strip, 1 each in Iran and Syria. Outside the Middle East, the PEC recorded 2 victims each in Mexico and Venezuela, 1 each in Guatemala (5 in Latin America), Somalia, Uganda, India, Bangladesh and the Philippines.
“It is deeply regrettable that a single government – that of the State of Israel, which is in principle a democracy – is responsible for nearly two-thirds of the victims. This demonstrates an unacceptable lack of respect on the part of Israeli forces for civilian lives and media independence, with in some cases a deliberate intent to target journalists, which constitutes a war crime,” added Lempen.
The pretexts put forward by Israel – namely that the targeted journalists, though clearly identified as members of the press, were affiliated with Hamas or Hezbollah – do not justify their killing if these journalists were not acting as combatants. The PEC regrets that there are no investigations and prosecutions against the perpetrators of these war crimes, a situation of impunity that encourages further violations. The PEC also denounces the continued unacceptable restrictions on international media access to the Gaza Strip.
PEC deplores the international community’s lack of response – beyond mere lip service – even though States have adopted numerous resolutions in recent years on the safety of journalists aimed at better combating impunity. It is disheartening to note that there is currently no political will on the part of States to strengthen the protection of journalists in war zones and to better enforce international humanitarian law.
Finally the PEC hopes that the 2026 World Press Freedom Day Conference titled ‘Shaping a Future in Peace’, organized by UNESCO on 4 and 5 May in Lusaka of Zambia, will reaffirm the need to effectively combat the erosion of freedom of expression. The key would be to restore the conditions for global peace and dialogue, concluded the PEC statement.
