LONDON: More than 100 prominent journalists have called for “immediate and unsupervised foreign press access to the Gaza Strip,” adding to mounting pressure on Israel to lift its blockade on the territory, where Tel Aviv also faces charges of war crimes and genocide.
The petition has been launched under the Freedom to Report initiative which advocates for protecting journalists and upholding press independence globally.
The signatories include Sky News special correspondent Alex Crawford, broadcaster Mehdi Hasan, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour and Clarissa Ward, and legendary war photographer Don McCullin.
“This is not only about Gaza. It is about defending the universal right to independent, on-the-ground reporting in conflict zones everywhere,” read the statement published on Monday.
“Gaza is the most urgent case, but it is not the only one. It reflects the gravest pattern of silencing journalists and restricting the press. If the democratic world truly intends to push back against this erosion of freedom, it must not turn a blind eye to Gaza.”
