Over two dozen global media call on Israel to allow Gaza access

JERUSALEM, Apr 30: Senior leaders from more than two dozen global news organisations signed an open letter published on Thursday calling for Israel to allow international media to independently enter the Gaza Strip.

"In every conflict, journalists face limits on access to war zones. But Gaza is different. For more than 930 days, Israel has barred foreign reporters from independently entering the territory," said the letter, endorsed by editors from 31 media organisations.

They included The New York Times, the BBC, The Washington Post, Le Monde, and news agencies AP, Reuters, and AFP.

"Being on the ground is essential," the letter added, noting that in other recent conflict zones, "foreign correspondents have still been able to report relatively independently".

Since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, triggered by an attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the Israeli government has barred foreign journalists from independently entering the blockaded territory.

Instead, Israel has allowed only a limited number of reporters to enter Gaza on a case-by-case basis on embeds with its military.

The ban "has pushed the responsibility for covering this devastating war and its aftermath almost entirely on our Palestinian colleagues", the letter said, adding that "they should not have to shoulder this burden alone, and they should be protected".    �"AFP