Open letter from media and press freedom organizations on Gaza access

We, the undersigned, call for immediate, independent, and unrestricted international media access to Gaza and for full protection of journalists who continue to report under siege.

For 20 months, the Israeli authorities have refused to grant journalists outside of Gaza independent access to the Palestinian territory – a situation that is without precedent in modern warfare. Local journalists, those best positioned to tell the truth, face displacement and starvation. To date, nearly 200 journalists have been killed by the Israeli military. Many more have been injured and face constant threats to their lives for doing their jobs: bearing witness. This is a direct attack on press freedom and the right to information. 

We understand the inherent risks in reporting from war zones. These are risks that many of our organizations have taken over decades in order to investigate, document developments as they occur, and understand the impacts of war. 

At this pivotal moment, with renewed military action and efforts to resume the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, it is vital that Israel open Gaza’s borders for international journalists to be able to report freely and that Israel abides by its international obligations to protect journalists as civilians. We call on world leaders, governments, and international institutions to act immediately to ensure this. 

Signed by:

1. Actualite.cd
2. Agence France-Presse
3. Agência Pública
4. Al Araby Al Jadeed
5. Al Jazeera Center of Public Liberties & Human Rights
6. Al-Masdar Online
7. Alternative Press Syndicate
8. Amazônia Real
9. Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ)
10. ARTICLE 19
11. Asia Pacific Report
12. Associated Press
13. Association of Foreign Press Correspondents
14. Bahrain Press Association
15. Birama Konaré, Joliba
16. BirGun Daily
17. Brecha
18. British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
19. Bulatlat
20. CamboJA
21. Casbah Tribune
22. Cedar Centre for Legal Studies (CCLS)
23. Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG)
24. Eastern Africa Editors Society
25. Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
26. Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT)
27. Confidencial.digital
28. Connectas
29. Daraj Media
30. Dawn newspaper
31. De Último Minuto
32. Delfino.CR
33. Deník Referendum
34. Digital Radio-télévision DRTV
35. Droub
36. Efecto Cocuyo
37. Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR)
38. El Ciudadano
39. El Diario de Hoy
40. El Espectador
41. El Faro
42. El Mostrador
43. El Sol de México
44. El Universal
45. elDiarioAR
46. ENASS
47. Équipe Média
48. European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
49. European Broadcasting Union
50. Eyewitness Media Group
51. Financial Times
52. Forbidden Stories
53. Foreign Press Association (London)
54. Foreign Press Association (Israel/Palestinian Territories)
55. Foundation for Investigative Journalism – FIJ
56. France 24
57. Free Press Unlimited
58. Front Page Africa
59. GabonClic.info
60. Geneva Health Files
61. Geo News
62. Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN)
63. Global Reporting Centre
64. Guineematin.com
65. Haaretz
66. 7amleh - The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media
67. Hildebrandt en sus trece
68. HuMENA for Human Rights and Civic Engagement
69. Independent Television News
70. Inkyfada
71. International News Safety Institute (INSI)
72. International Press Institute (IPI)
73. IWACU
74. Klix.ba
75. L’Alternative
76. L’Événement
77. La Voix de Djibouti
78. Le Jour
79. Le Monde
80. Le Reporter
81. Le Temps
82. Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH)
83. Luat Khoa
84. Mada Masr
85. Mail & Guardian
86. Malaysiakini
87. Mekong Review
88. MediaTown
89. MENA Rights Group
90. Mizzima Media
91. Mullithivu Press Club
92. Muwatin Media Network
93. Monte Carlo Doualiya (MCD)
94. National Public Radio (NPR)
95. New Bloom Magazine
96. Nord Sud Quotidien
97. OC Media
98. Organización Editorial Mexicana
99. People Daily
100. Photon Media
101. Plan V
102. Prachatai
103. Premium Times
104. Pressafrik
105. Prospect Magazine
106. Pulitzer Center
107. Rádio Ecclesia
108. Radio Universidad de Chile
109. Radio France Internationale (RFI)
110. Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
111. Rory Peck Trust
112. SMEX
113. SMN24MEDIA
114. Society of Professional Journalists
115. Stabroek News
116. Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression, SCM
117. Taz – die tageszeitung
118. Tempo Digital
119. The Globe and Mail
120. The Independent
121. The Intercept Brasil
122. The Legal Agenda
123. The Magnet
124. The Nairobi Law Monthly
125. The New Arab
126. The Point
127. The Reckoning Project
128. The Shift
129. The Wire
130. The World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA)
131. TV Slovenia
132. Twala.info
133. Unnu.news
134. Vikalpa
135. Wattan Media Network
136. Woz – die Wochenzeitung