Executives from more than two dozen prominent news organizations worldwide are demanding that Israel end restrictions preventing foreign journalists from independently covering Gaza, barriers that have remained in effect since fighting began in 2023 and continue despite a ceasefire lasting over six months.
The statement, released Thursday morning at 5 a.m. ET, included leadership from major outlets ranging from The Associated Press and BBC to CNN, Reuters, The Washington Post, and German news agency dpa.
“Being on the ground is essential. It allows journalists to question official accounts on all sides, to speak directly with civilians and report back what they witness firsthand,” the executives wrote. “That is why news organizations send their reporters into the field, often at great personal risk.”
According to the media leaders, Israeli officials have not responded to their attempts to discuss the matter, and they’re challenging the government’s justifications for maintaining these limitations.
Israel initially defended the restrictions by claiming foreign reporters could compromise Israeli troop locations and safety. Officials also cited the active combat zone’s dangers as reasoning. While the military has occasionally escorted foreign journalists on tightly supervised visits, news organizations are seeking unrestricted access.
The editors argue circumstances have changed significantly. “The heaviest fighting is over and there is a ceasefire in place,” their statement noted. “The hostages have come home. Journalists do not pose a threat to Israeli troops. There is a mechanism in place—however restrictive—that allows aid workers to enter and exit the territory. Why not journalists?”
Legal efforts to challenge the ban are ongoing. The Foreign Press Association, representing international media covering Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, has awaited an Israeli Supreme Court decision on their 2024 petition for independent Gaza access. However, rulings have faced repeated postponements, including one in January.
Without foreign correspondent access, reporting on ground conditions has fallen entirely to local Palestinian journalists. These reporters face extraordinary challenges beyond typical war coverage dangers, including destroyed homes, killed family members, and severe food shortages that prompted concerns from Agence France-Presse, AP and Reuters about their colleagues’ survival.
Thursday’s statement emphasized this burden: “This has pushed the responsibility for covering this devastating war and its aftermath almost entirely on our Palestinian colleagues… They should not have to shoulder this burden alone, and they should be protected.”
The Committee to Protect Journalists reports that over 200 journalists and media workers have died in this conflict, exceeding casualties in other conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war.
Among the victims was 33-year-old visual journalist Mariam Dagga, who freelanced for AP and other organizations. She died alongside four other journalists, including Reuters cameraman Hussam al-Masri and freelancer Moaz Abu Taha, in an Israeli strike on a medical facility last August where journalists were known to gather.
AP’s reporting questioned the Israeli government’s justification for targeting the hospital, and both AP and Reuters subsequently demanded explanations and protective measures for reporters.
The media executives timed their Thursday statement during Press Freedom Week. “Freedom of the press is a basic value in any open society. It is time for the delays to end. Let us into Gaza.”
