PARIS, April 30, 2026 (WAFA) – Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reported on Thursday that Israel has experienced a deterioration in press freedom and increasing restrictions on media pluralism since the outbreak of the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, amid rising pressure on journalists and expanding restrictive legislation.
In its annual ranking released on Thursday, the organization said global press freedom has reached its lowest level in 25 years, with more than half of countries classified as having a “difficult” or “very serious” situation.
It noted that Israel’s ranking fell from 112th to 116th out of 180 countries, citing intensified pressure on media independence and pluralism since the start of the war. The report also said that more than 220 journalists have been killed in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, including at least 70 who were killed in connection with their work.
The organization pointed to the growing influence of media outlets such as the far-right Channel 14, which became the second most-watched television channel in Israel in 2023, according to the Israel Democracy Institute, while the Ynet news site remains the most widely read.
The report also highlighted the role of military censorship, which requires prior approval before publishing security-related information. It further referenced a 2023 amendment passed by the Knesset to counterterrorism legislation, which criminalizes the systematic consumption of “terrorist publications” or incitement to terrorism.
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