Journalists are urging governments to allow them to enter the enclave via the Rafah crossing in southern Gaza.
More than 50 international journalists have signed an open letter to Egyptian and Israeli authorities calling for “free and unhindered access to Gaza for all foreign media.”
Correspondents and presenters from major broadcasters in the US and UK, including Sky News foreign reporter Alex Crawford and BBC international editor Jeremy Bowen, joined the call to demand access to the Gaza Strip.
In the letter, the journalists call on governments to allow them access to the enclave via the Rafah crossing, which connects Gaza to Egypt.
“We urge the governments of Israel and Egypt to allow free and unhindered access to Gaza for all foreign media,” the letter read.
“We call on the Israeli government to openly declare that it allows international journalists to operate in Gaza and for the Egyptian authorities to allow international journalists to access the Rafah crossing. »
Since the start of the war, only a handful of foreign journalists have been allowed access to Gaza, mostly by being “integrated” into the Israeli army.
In a separate editorial for Sky News laying out the case for allowing journalists into Gaza, Crawford explained that the few journalists allowed in were not allowed to speak with Palestinians during the tours.
“This clearly has monumental limitations. We should all ask ourselves why this is still happening nearly five months after the most intense bombing seen in decades, and how it affects understanding of what is happening inside,” Crawford wrote.
Palestinian journalists who have been covering the conflict from Gaza for five months have done so under intense Israeli bombardment that has cost many of their lives.
The Committee to Protect Journalists found that since the start of the war following Hamas’ attacks on Israel on October 7, at least 99 journalists and media workers have been killed, including 92 Palestinians.
“It is vital that the safety of local journalists is respected and that their efforts are supported by the journalism of members of the international media,” the letter said.
“The need for comprehensive coverage of the conflict on the ground is imperative. »
