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A group of top international journalists have joined forces to demand that Israel and Egypt provide foreign media with “unfettered access” to Gaza.
Fifty-five presenters and correspondents have signed an open letter that also appeals for better protections for local press already reporting in the territory.
Among the signatories are CNN‘s Christiane Amanpour, Sky News journalist Alex Crawford, and Jeremy Bowen, the BBC‘s international editor. Other news networks represented include ITV, Channel 4, ABC, NBC, and CBS.
The letter states: “Almost five months into the war in Gaza, foreign reporters are still being denied access to the territory, outside of the rare and escorted trips with the Israeli military.
“We urge the governments of Israel and Egypt to allow free and unfettered access to Gaza for all foreign media. We call on the government of Israel to openly state its permission for international journalists to operate in Gaza and for the Egyptian authorities to allow international journalists access to the Rafah Crossing.”
It continues: “There is intense global interest in the events in Gaza and for now the only reporting has come from journalists who were already based there.
“It’s vital that local journalists’ safety is respected and that their efforts are bolstered by the journalism of members of the international media. The need for comprehensive on the ground reporting of the conflict is imperative.”
Crawford expanded on the letter in an op-ed for Sky News in which she explained that media “embeds” with the Israel Defense Forces had not been adequate.
“The embedded journalist must abide by certain rules set by the host military designed not to compromise their security. The host clearly chooses the route, area to head to, how long you are in situ and basically what the journalist gets access to and who they talk to or if they can talk to anyone at all,” she wrote.
“History has shown, the effective curtailing of media coverage for whatever reasons, results only in confusion and doubts – a breeding ground for conspiracists and non-understanding which can only make peace more elusive. Our first mission as journalists is to tell the full story. Foreign journalists are not able to in Gaza right now.”
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