Over 50 UK-based journalists who report for mainstream outlets released a letter demanding that Israel allow more reporters into Gaza. Israel has killed over 120 Palestinian journalists and caused a communications blackout in the Strip that has stifled reporting on the scale of destruction in Gaza. Tel Aviv has allowed select members of the corporate press to take guided tours in Gaza.
The letter, signed by reporters from Sky News, the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, CNN, ABC, NBC, and CBS, was first reported in the UK media on Wednesday. “Almost five months into the war in Gaza, foreign reporters are still being denied access to the territory, outside of the rare and escorted trips with the Israeli military,” it states. “We urge the Governments of Israel and Egypt to allow free and unfettered access to Gaza for all foreign media.”
Some of the few guided trips into Gaza have resulted in embarrassment for Israel. After taking journalists to al-Shifa Hospital and a cemetery, mainstream media outlets reported that the curated evidence did not match the claims put forward by Israeli officials.
“There is intense global interest in the events in Gaza and for now the only reporting has come from journalists who were already based there.” The letter continues, “It’s vital that local journalists’ safety is respected and that their efforts are bolstered by the journalism of members of the international media.”
Overall, Israeli forces have killed over 120 Palestinian journalists. Sherif Mansour, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) Middle East and North Africa program coordinator, said, “The Israel-Gaza war is the most dangerous situation for journalists we have ever seen, and these figures show that clearly.” He continued, “The Israeli army has killed more journalists in ten weeks than any other army or entity has in any single year.”
CPJ found that Israel was responsible for nearly 75% of all journalists’ deaths worldwide in 2023. “More than three-quarters of the 99 journalists and media workers killed worldwide in 2023 died in the Israel-Gaza war, the majority of them Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza.” The CPJ report concluded, “The conflict claimed the lives of more journalists in three months than have ever been killed in a single country over an entire year.”
The letter adds, “The need for comprehensive on-the-ground reporting of the conflict is imperative.” In under five months, Israel’s military operations have decimated the Strip. Over 29,000 Palestinians are dead, including just under 12,500 children. Thousands of others are missing; many are assumed to be dead and buried under the rubble.
Additionally, the widespread destruction in Gaza, combined with the restrictions on aid, has caused a humanitarian crisis. Several infants are reported to have starved to death over the past week.
