Several media outlets demand journalist protection in Gaza
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Over 30 news organizations have signed an open letter that demands freedom to report on the war on Gaza safely.
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A protective vest of one of the two journalists of Al Mayadeen killed in an Israeli strike lies on the ground at the Lebanese border village of Tair Harfa on November 21, 2023. (AP)
More than 30 news organizations have signed an open letter expressing solidarity with journalists working in Gaza and demanding their safety and freedom to report.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) coordinated the letter, which was signed by global news agencies AFP, AP, and Reuters, as well as prominent media publications such as The Guardian, The New York Times, BBC News, and other outlets.
The letter explained that journalists and media workers in Gaza for almost 5 months have "overwhelmingly" been the main source of reporting in occupied Palestine and have been operating in "unprecedented conditions".
The CPJ reported that at least 89 journalists and media workers in Gaza have been murdered during the war on Gaza.
It is important to note that due to the devastation caused by the Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip, some victims remain trapped under rubble and on the roads, with the Israeli occupation hindering the arrival of ambulances and civil defense teams to provide urgent assistance.
This alarming escalation brings the total toll of the Israeli aggression to a staggering 30,228 martyrs and 71,377 injuries since October 7 of last year.
The letter was also signed by the Association for International Broadcasters and the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), which noted that journalists "are civilians" and that the Israeli occupation authorities should protect them and treat them as "noncombatants according to international law."
“Those responsible for any violations of that longstanding protection should be held accountable,” the letter continued.
Jodie Ginsberg, the chief executive of the CPJ, welcomed other organizations to participate in the letter, explaining that the organization wanted to show solidarity with Palestinian colleagues.
50+ UK journalists demand access to Gaza
On Wednesday, more than 50 UK-based broadcast journalists sent an open letter to the Israeli and Egyptian embassies demanding "free and unfettered access" to Gaza for foreign media, British media revealed.
55 correspondents and presenters from the major broadcasting outlets based in the UK participated in the letter urging for better protection for journalists already reporting in the territory.
The letter further demanded that "Israel" openly allow international journalists to do their jobs in Gaza and for the Egyptian authorities to give international journalists access to the Rafah Crossing between Egypt and Gaza.
Even though some journalists have been asked to briefly embed with the Israeli occupation forces for supervised tours inside Gaza, they have been banned from interviewing any of the Palestinians there.
The letter also stated, "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," further urging that "it's vital that local journalists' safety is respected and that their efforts are bolstered by the journalism of members of the international media."
"The need for comprehensive on-the-ground reporting of the conflict is imperative," it stressed.
On January 9, the Israeli occupation supreme court rejected a request submitted by international media asking for free access to Gaza.
132 journalists in Gaza have been murdered by the IOF
The Government Media Office in Gaza announced on February 23 that 132 journalists have been targeted and killed by "Israel" since October 7.
Most recently, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported that photojournalist Mohammad Yaghi "Aba Teshreen" was martyred last week, alongside his wife and daughter, in a massacre carried out by Israeli occupation forces near Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza.
Despite constant warnings by Palestinian and international media against the Israeli targeting of journalists in the Gaza Strip and calls for their protection, the occupation neglected all calls and continued deliberately targeting and killing them in an attempt to conceal its genocidal crimes against the people of Palestine.
Journalists in Gaza are facing terrible dangers, brought forth by "Israel's" mass indiscriminate bombing of the strip, communication and electricity outages, and supply shortages.
In late November, an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon led to the martyrdom of Al Mayadeen's reporter Farah Omar and cameraman Rabih Me'mari, along with Hussein Akil.
