We, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), meeting today, 16 February, on Journalism & Citizenship (J&C)’s initiative at the Arab World Institute in Paris for a day of dialogue between journalists from both shores of the Mediterranean,issue a solemn appeal to the international community to end the slaughter of journalism in Gaza and enable the international media to finally access Gaza in order to document this war’s terrible reality.
Every day for more than four months, Palestinian journalists have been putting their lives in danger in order to inform the world about the situation in Gaza and the West Bank. Around 100 of them have been killed in what has been a terrible massacre. Several have been targeted. Many have been badly injured, have lost family members, have had their homes destroyed or have been displaced. The surviving journalists continue heroically to practice their profession. They live under the permanent threat of Israeli bombardment, or even deliberately targeted attacks, as demonstrated by RSF’s investigation into the death of Reuters reporter Issam Abdallah, who was killed in Lebanon on 13 October
The toll of these four months of war on journalism in Gaza is terrifying. Today, journalists no longer have any escape or refuge. Forced, since October 7, to flee towards the south of Gaza strip, the vast majority of them had to take refuge in Rafah, where the crossing border with Egypt is still closed to them and where the invasion of the city risks causing a new bloodbath. However, Rafah was described by Israel as a “security zone” at the beginning of the conflict.
We, organisations and journalists from both shores of the Mediterranean, firmly condemn the Israeli army’s desire to eradicate Palestinian journalism and the right to news and information in Gaza. We appeal to governments and international organisations to put pressure on Israel to end this slaughter.
We demand that the Israeli government:
- urgently issue firm and explicit instructions to its armed forces to strictly respect its obligations under international humanitarian law on the protection of journalists;
- open the gates of the Rafah border crossing to finally allow the international media’s entry into Gaza and the evacuation of Palestinian journalists who wish to leave;
- define safe havens to shelter journalists covering the war from within the Gaza Strip;
- facilitate the delivery of protective gear and professional equipment for journalists who continue to work in and around the war zone.
From the Arab World Institute in Paris , we, organisations and journalists from both shores of the Mediterranean, express our solidarity with our Palestinian fellow journalists and pay tribute to all those who have died while trying to keep us informed.
Signed
Organisations
Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
Journalisme et Citoyenneté (J&C)
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