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Leading international news organisations, including Agence France-Presse (AFP), the Associated Press (AP), Reuters, and the BBC, have jointly appealed to Israel to grant media access in and out of Gaza, which has been under a stringent blockade since the outbreak of war last October.
In a statement released on Thursday, July 24, the organisations expressed grave concern over the deteriorating conditions for journalists in the besieged territory.
“We are desperately concerned for our journalists in Gaza, who are increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families,” the statement read.
While acknowledging that journalists frequently endure immense hardship in conflict zones, the media groups said they were “deeply alarmed that the threat of starvation is now one of them.”
They urged Israeli authorities to open access for journalists and ensure adequate food aid reaches the population in Gaza.
With the enclave largely cut off, much of the international coverage of the war relies heavily on Palestinian journalists working for global agencies such as AFP. Their reports, images, and footage have become the primary source of information from inside Gaza.
Humanitarian organisations and rights groups continue to warn of an escalating crisis, with over 100 groups recently cautioning that “mass starvation” is spreading among the more than two million civilians in Gaza.
Since the start of the Israeli bombardment, only a limited number of journalists have been granted entry to Gaza, and only when embedded with Israeli forces under tight censorship.
According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), over 200 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the conflict began.
AFP has published first-hand accounts from its reporters in Gaza, detailing the severity of the humanitarian situation.
“We have no energy left due to hunger and lack of food,” said Omar al-Qattaa, a 35-year-old AFP photographer who was shortlisted for a Pulitzer Prize earlier this year.
“Obtaining food in Gaza is extremely difficult. Even when it is available, prices are multiplied by 100,” added video journalist Youssef Hassouna.
Israel insists that aid is reaching the territory and has, without proof, accused Hamas of diverting supplies, including food, and even shooting at those queuing for handouts.
However, the World Health Organisation’s director warned this week that the quantity of food entering Gaza remains “far below what is needed for the survival of the population.”
The United Nations has also reported that since late May, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces while trying to access food aid.
Between January and April 2024, AFP managed to evacuate eight of its staff and their families from Gaza after protracted efforts.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a press freedom watchdog, stated on Wednesday, accusing Israel of “starving Gazan journalists into silence.”
CPJ’s regional director, Sara Qudah, said these journalists have been left to fend for themselves after international media withdrew and access was denied.
Palestinian journalists have spoken of extreme fatigue and malnutrition. One such journalist, Sally Thabet of Al-Kofiya satellite channel, reportedly collapsed following a live broadcast this week.
Al Jazeera, the Doha-based Arabic news channel, also issued a call for international intervention to protect journalists in Gaza.
The network, which has been banned from broadcasting in Israel, claims five of its reporters have been killed since the war began, alleging that they were deliberately targeted.
The Israeli government has previously accused some Gaza-based journalists of being affiliated with Hamas.
A government spokesperson claimed last December that most journalists in Gaza operated under Hamas control and would not be permitted to report freely until the militant group was dismantled.
