New York, July 11, 2024—More than 60 media and civil society organizations have signed an open letter urging Israel to give journalists independent access to Gaza.

The organizations—which include the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, BBC, CNN, The Guardian, The New York Times, and The Washington Post—point out that no independent media access to Gaza has been permitted since the start of the war, increasing the pressure on domestic journalists, and creating a space for mis- and disinformation to flourish.

“More than 100 journalists have been killed since the start of the war and those who remain are working in conditions of extreme deprivation. The result is that information from Gaza is becoming harder and harder to obtain and that the reporting which does get through is subject to repeated questions over its veracity,” the organizations say in the letter, which was coordinated by the Committee to Protect Journalists.

The letter comes ahead of a planned visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the United States, where he is set to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden and address the U.S. Congress on July 24.

CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg noted: “President Netanyahu describes Israel as a democracy. His actions with regard to the media tell a different story. International, Israeli, and Palestinian journalists from outside Gaza should be given independent access to Gaza so they can judge for themselves what is happening in this war—rather than being spoon-fed with a handful of organized tours by the Israeli military.”

In addition to news outlets, the signatories—who span more than 26 countries—include professional groups and organizations dedicated to defending press freedom.

About the Committee to Protect Journalists

The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide. We defend the right of journalists to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal.

Read the full letter below

We, the undersigned, request that Israeli authorities end immediately the restrictions on foreign media entering Gaza and grant independent access to international news organizations seeking to access the territory.

Nine months into the war, international reporters are still being denied access to Gaza except for rare and escorted trips arranged by the Israeli military. This effective ban on foreign reporting has placed an impossible and unreasonable burden on local reporters to document a war through which they are living. More than 100 journalists have been killed since the start of the war and those who remain are working in conditions of extreme deprivation. The result is that information from Gaza is becoming harder and harder to obtain and that the reporting which does get through is subject to repeated questions over its veracity.

We fully 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 wars the world over. 

A free and independent press is the cornerstone of democracy. We ask that Israel uphold its commitments to press freedom by providing foreign media with immediate, independent access to Gaza, and that Israel abides by its international obligations to protect journalists as civilians. 

Signatories

1. ABC News, United States
2. Agence France-Presse, France
3. Alternative Press Syndicate, Lebanon
4. Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism
5. Asian American Journalists Association, United States
6. Associated Press, United States
7. Association for International Broadcasting, United Kingdom
8. Association of Foreign Press Correspondents, United States
9. Bangladeshi Journalists in International Media, Bangladesh
10. BBC News, United Kingdom
11. Bianet, Turkey
12. Bloomberg News, United States
13. CBS News, United States
14. CNN Worldwide, United States
15. CONNECTAS
16. Community Media Forum Europe, Belgium
17. CTV News, Canada
18. Daily Maverick, South Africa
19. Daraj, Lebanon
20. Denik Referendum, Czech Republic
21. European Broadcasting Union, Switzerland
22. European Federation of Journalists
23. Financial Times, United Kingdom
24. Forbidden Stories, France
25. fotosintesi.info, Italy
26. Free Press Unlimited, The Netherlands
27. Global Investigative Journalism Network
28. Global Reporting Centre, Canada
29. International Association of Women in Radio and Television
30. International Center for Journalists, United States
31. International Fund for Public Interest Media
32. International News Safety Institute, United Kingdom
33. International Women’s Media Foundation, United States
34. ITN, United Kingdom
35. Le Mauricien, Mauritius
36. McLatchy, United States
37. Media Development Center, Tunisia
38. Media Diversity Institute, United Kingdom
39. Middle East Eye
40. National Association of Hispanic Journalists, United States
41. National Press Club, United States
42. National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, The Philippines
43. NBC News, United States
44. Nieman Foundation for Journalism, Harvard University, United States
45. NPR, United States
46. Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project
47. Premium Times, Nigeria
48. Prospect Magazine, United Kingdom
49. Public Media Alliance
50. Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, United States
51. Rory Peck Trust, United Kingdom
52. RTÉ News & Current Affairs, Ireland
53. Rural Media Network, Pakistan
54. Sky News, United Kingdom
55. SMN24Media, Sri Lanka
56. Somali Media Women Association, Somalia
57. Sveriges Radio, Sweden
58. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, United Kingdom
59. The Foreign Press Association, Israel and the Palestinian Territories
60. The Guardian, United Kingdom
61. The Irish Times, Ireland
62. The New York Times, United States
63. The Washington Post, United States
64. Twala, Algeria
65. Vocento, Spain
66. VRT News, Belgium
67. Wattan Media Network, Palestine
68. World Association for Christian Communication
69. World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), Germany
70. Yle News and Current Affairs, Finland