International media groups urge Israel to allow access to Gaza
"We are desperately concerned for our journalists in Gaza, who are increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families," the media groups said in a joint statement.
They added that "journalists endure many deprivations and hardships in war zones. We are deeply alarmed that the threat of starvation is now one of them."
"We once again urge the Israeli authorities to allow journalists in and out of Gaza. It is essential that adequate food supplies reach the people there," they concluded.
With Gaza sealed off, many media groups around the world depend on photo, video and text coverage of the conflict provided by Palestinian reporters to international news agencies such as AFP.
International criticism is growing over the plight of the more than two million Palestinian civilians in Gaza, where more than 100 aid and rights groups have warned that "mass starvation" is spreading.
Since the war started following the unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas, a small number of journalists have been able to enter Gaza only with the Israeli army and under strict military censorship rules.
Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in early July that more than 200 journalists had been killed in Gaza since the war began.
- Evacuations -
AFP news agency has published accounts of life inside Gaza from its reporters this week. It has said it is concerned about "the appalling situation" they face due to a daily struggle to find food.
"We have no energy left due to hunger and lack of food," said Omar al-Qattaa, a 35-year-old AFP photographer 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," video journalist Youssef Hassouna said.
Israel says humanitarian aid is being allowed in and accuses Hamas of exploiting civilian suffering, including by stealing food handouts to sell at inflated prices or shooting at those awaiting aid.
The World Health Organization's chief warned on Wednesday of widespread starvation in Gaza, saying food deliveries into the territory were "far below what is needed for the survival of the population".
Witnesses and Gaza's civil defence agency have repeatedly accused Israeli forces of firing on aid seekers. The UN said the military had killed more than 1,000 Palestinians trying to get food since late May.
AFP succeeded in evacuating eight staff members and their families from Gaza between January and April 2024, after months of effort.
- 'Starving' -
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a media freedom group, said in a statement on Wednesday that Israel was "starving Gazan journalists into silence".
"They are not just reporters, they are frontline witnesses, abandoned as international media were pulled out and denied entry," CPJ regional director Sara Qudah was quoted as saying.
Many Palestinian journalists have spoken out or posted about their exhaustion, with Sally Thabet, a correspondent for Al-Kofiya satellite channel, fainting after a live broadcast this week, the CPJ said.
Doha-based Al Jazeera, the most influential Arabic media group, also called for global action to protect Gaza's journalists on Tuesday.
The channel, which has been banned in Israel, has had five of its reporters killed since the start of the conflict in what it says is a deliberate targeting campaign by Israel.
In some cases, Israel has accused reporters of being "terror operatives", such as when it killed a Gaza-based Al Jazeera staff journalist and freelancer last year -- allegations condemned by the Qatari news network.
"We know that probably most journalists inside Gaza are operating under the auspices of Hamas, and until Hamas is destroyed, they will not be allowed to report freely," Israeli government spokesman David Mercer told a press conference last December.
adp/jj
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Thai-Cambodia clashes spread along frontier as death toll rises
Thailand and Cambodia pounded each other with heavy artillery fire for a third day on Saturday, as a border conflict that killed at least 33 people and displaced more than 150,000 from their homes spread across the frontier. Clashes broke out for the first time in the countries' coastal regions where they meet on the Gulf of Thailand, around 250 kilometres (160 miles) southwest of the main frontlines thumping with blasts on Saturday afternoon. "It feels like I'm escaping a war zone," 76-year-old Samlee Sornchai told AFP at a temple shelter for evacuees in the Thai town of Kanthararom, after abandoning his farm near the embattled frontier. Both sides say they are open to a truce in the combat being fought with jets, tanks and ground troops, but have accused the other of undermining armistice efforts. Tensions initially flared over long-contested ancient temple sites before fighting spread along the countries' rural border region, marked by a ridge of hills surrounded by wild jungle and agricultural land where locals farm rubber and rice. Cambodia's defence ministry said 13 people have been confirmed killed in the fighting since Thursday, including eight civilians and five soldiers, with 71 people wounded. Thai authorities say 13 civilians and seven soldiers have been killed on their side, taking the toll across both nations higher than it was in the last major round of fighting between 2008 and 2011. Both sides reported a coastline clash around 5:00 am Saturday (2200 GMT Friday), with Cambodia accusing Thai forces of firing "five heavy artillery shells" into Pursat province, bordering Thailand's Trat province. The conflict has also forced more than 138,000 people to be evacuated from Thailand's border regions, and more than 35,000 driven from their homes in Cambodia. After an urgent UN Security Council meeting in New York on Friday, Cambodia's UN ambassador Chhea Keo said his country wanted a ceasefire. "Cambodia asked for an immediate ceasefire -- unconditionally -- and we also call for the peaceful solution of the dispute," he told reporters. - Border row - Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa said Saturday that for any ceasefire or talks to proceed, Cambodia needed to show "genuine sincerity in ending the conflict". "I urge Cambodia to stop violating Thai sovereignty and to return to resolving the issue through bilateral dialogue," Maris told reporters. Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Nikorndej Balankura said Friday, before the UN meeting was held, that Bangkok was open to talks, possibly aided by Malaysia. Malaysia currently holds the chair of the ASEAN regional bloc, of which Thailand and Cambodia are both members. Both sides have blamed the other for firing first. Additionally, Cambodia has accused Thai forces of using cluster munitions, while Thailand accused Cambodia of targeting civilian infrastructure, including a hospital hit by shells and a petrol station struck by at least one rocket. Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra -- still an influential figure in the kingdom -- visited shelters on Saturday to meet evacuees. "The military needs to complete its operations before any dialogue can take place," Thaksin told reporters. The fighting marks a dramatic escalation in a long-running dispute between the neighbours -- both popular destinations for millions of foreign tourists -- over their shared 800-kilometre (500-mile) border where dozens of kilometres are contested. A UN court ruling in 2013 settled the matter for more than a decade, but the current crisis erupted in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a clash on the border. Relations between the two countries soured dramatically when Hun Sen last month released a recording of a call with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra focused on the border row. The leak triggered a political crisis in Thailand as Paetongtarn -- Thaksin's daughter -- was accused of not standing up for Thailand enough, and of criticising her own army. She was suspended from office by a court order.
SBS Australia
9 hours ago
- SBS Australia
Israel to allow foreign aid airdrops as Gaza starvation deaths reach 122
TRANSCRIPT Israel to allow foreign aid airdrops as Gaza starvation deaths rise to 122 At least six killed in gas explosion in southern Russia Dolphins take revamped squad with 10 debutantes to world championships in Singapore Israel has announced it will allow foreign countries to airdrop aid into Gaza, as the UN's World Food Programme says around one in three people in Gaza are without food. This comes as hospitals in Gaza record several more deaths from malnutrition, bringing the total number of people in Gaza who have died from starvation to 122. Israel has been restricting food, water and medical supplies into Gaza, claiming Hamas are looting supplies - despite a US report which found no proof of such actions. Dr Thienminh Dinh is Australian specialist emergency physician and Medical Activity Manager in Gaza for Médecins Sans Frontières, or Doctors Without Borders. She tells ABC's Breakfast program that Israel must allow an uninhibited flow of aid into Gaza immediately. "A few airdrops is not going to make a tangible difference. And what we feared a few months ago, we are starting to see. That people are literally dying because they do not have enough food. And let me be clear, when I say the aid blockade needs to be lifted, allowing a small amount of aid in so you can placate your allies is not the same thing as lifting the blockade." US President Donald Trump has responded to French President Emmanuel Macron's recent move in support of a Palestinian state, speaking to reporters as he arrived in Scotland. REPORTER: "What's your comment on...(Macron's plan to recognise Palestinian state?)" TRUMP: "Well, that's what he does. I mean, you know, that's fine. If he does that, that's up to him. It's not up to me. I'm with the United States. I'm not with France." Mr Macron made the announcement on Thursday in a post on X, saying it's urgent that the war in Gaza stops and the civilian population is saved. He added that he has decided France will recognise the state of Palestine, given its historic commitment to a just and sustainable peace in the Middle East. The French president offered support for Israel after the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks and frequently spoke out against antisemitism. But he has grown increasingly frustrated about Israel's war in Gaza, especially in recent months. Israel condemned France's decision, saying it rewards terror. At least six people have died in a gas explosion in an apartment block in the southern Russian city of Saratov. The civil defence authorities on Friday said at least one child is among the dead. Emergency services have rescued one person from the rubble of the building, with at least four people missing and at least 16 injured. The governor of the region, Roman Busargin, declared a regional state of emergency. Gas pipe explosions in residential buildings are a frequent occurrence in Russia, causing severe damage and casualties. Around 80 per cent of the country is preparing for a huge downpour of rain this weekend, as a monster rain band approaches from western Australia. Angus Hynes from the Bureau of Meteorology told Channel Nine the rain will stretch all the way from north Queensland down to Tasmania. But he says in most parts of the country there aren't serious concerns for flooding. "Parts of Central Queensland and also parts of Eastern and Northern Tasmania. We'll probably see those heaviest falls, and particularly down south in Tassie that could lead to some perhaps minor or even moderate riverine flooding. But other areas, I don't think the rain is going to cause too many issues, and in particular for those parts which have really missed out on rain, not just this year, but all of last year. That rain will be really, really welcome on those dry landscapes." Australia's swimming team are heading to the world championships in Singapore on Sunday, with a near-quarter of debutantes. Head coach Rohan Taylor says the Dolphins squad will face an immediate resilience test at the world titles. Proven performers and gold-medal winners including Kaylee McKeown, Kyle Chalmers, Cam McEvoy and Mollie O'Callaghan form a core of a team including 10 world championship rookies including 16-year-old breaststroker Sienna Toohey. The 10-strong coaching team under Swimming Australia's head coach Taylor has also been revamped after last year's Paris Olympics with five fresh faces.
ABC News
12 hours ago
- ABC News
Scottish police brace for anti-Trump protests
US President Donald Trump has told the UK to "get its act together" on illegal migration, after landing in Scotland for a five day visit. Trump will open his new golf course and meet with the UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in to discuss trade, the Middle East, Ukraine and AUKUS submarine deal . Scottish police are bracing for thousands of people protesting the President's trip.
