Western media outlets warn Israel of starving Gaza journalists
In a rare joint statement issued on Thursday, the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse (AFP), and British state broadcaster the BBC said their staff were struggling to access basic supplies and called on Israeli authorities to allow free movement of journalists and humanitarian aid.
'We are desperately concerned for our journalists in Gaza, who are increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families,' the statement said. 'It is essential that adequate food supplies reach the people there.'
The outlets also urged Israel to lift restrictions preventing reporters from entering or leaving Gaza. Foreign media have largely been barred from accessing the territory since the start of Israel's military operation against Hamas in October.
The Israeli government has denied that it is responsible for the hunger in Gaza, instead accusing Hamas of hoarding aid and deliberately creating a crisis. West Jerusalem has cited security risks and the need to prevent the leaking of sensitive operational information as reasons for banning foreign journalists from the enclave.
In some cases, Israel has accused reporters of being 'terror operatives.' One such accusation followed an Israeli strike that killed a Gaza-based Al Jazeera staff journalist and a freelancer last year. The Qatari news network, which is banned in Israel, denied the accusations, accusing the Israeli military of deliberately targeting its staff because of the channel's coverage.
Since the start of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in 2023, the four outlets have been accused of favoring Israeli narratives in their coverage and of relying heavily on Israeli military announcements.
Last November, more than 100 BBC staff members accused the corporation of Israeli bias and of lacking 'consistently fair and accurate evidence-based journalism.' The British state broadcaster denied the claims.
According to various estimates, around 200 journalists have been killed in Gaza over the past 21 months. The conflict started after a Hamas incursion into southern Israel left 1,200 people dead. Since then, over 59,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
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