Berlin, 14 December 2023 (dpa/MIA) - At least 17 journalists have died while covering the fighting in the Middle East since the beginning of October, most of them in Gaza, a media advocacy group said.

Worldwide, 45 media professionals have been killed in connection with their work this year, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in its annual review of press freedom, which was released on Thursday.

This is the lowest number since 2002, when there were 33 deaths. "However, this should not obscure the fact that journalists pay a high price for their reporting in every war," the group said.

In 2022, 61 reporters and other media workers died worldwide.

Reporters Without Borders spoke of a "shockingly high number" in Gaza. At least 17 media workers have been killed in connection with their work since October 7, with 13 in the Gaza Strip, one in Israel and three in Lebanon. 

"This brings the total number of journalists killed in war zones this year to 23, compared to 20 last year," the RSF report says. Media professionals also lost their lives while reporting on armed conflicts in the African countries of Cameroon, Mali and Sudan, as well as in Syria and Ukraine, according to the figures.

"The decline can be explained in part and for certain regions by an improvement in the safety of media professionals," RSF said. "They are now generally better trained and equipped to work in armed conflicts."

"In some regions, legal frameworks have been created that better guarantee their safety. Mechanisms to combat impunity have also been strengthened. Elsewhere, however, self-censorship in the face of increased risks may also be responsible for the lower number of attacks and assaults," it said.

Photo: MIA archive