John,
End the blackout -- let journalists into Gaza now.
At least 239 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023 -- the deadliest assault on press freedom ever recorded. Each one of those deaths represents not only a human tragedy but part of a broader campaign to silence reporting and deny the world’s right to know the truth about what’s happening inside a war zone that the United Nations now calls a genocide. According to Navi Pillay, Chair of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry:
“The Commission finds that Israel is responsible for the commission of genocide in Gaza. It is clear that there is an intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza through acts that meet the criteria set forth in the Genocide Convention.”
For more than two years, Israel has enforced a total blockade on foreign journalists, the longest media blackout of any modern conflict. Even after the “ceasefire” was announced on October 10, Israel has refused to lift the ban as Gazans continue to starve. No independent reporters have been allowed into Gaza since the start of the war. The only exceptions are rare, tightly controlled military tours, where Israeli officials decide what journalists can see, film, and publish.
While foreign media are locked out, Palestinian journalists have risked everything to show the world what’s happening. They’ve worked without power, food, or safety, documenting airstrikes, mass displacement, and the destruction of hospitals and schools. Many have been killed in their homes, in press tents, even while wearing clearly marked “PRESS” vests. Those who survive are displaced, starving, and targeted simply for doing their jobs.
Send your message now: Demand that Israel immediately lift its ban on foreign journalists and allow full, independent press access to Gaza.
This deliberate targeting of journalists and the continued media blockade are no accident. Israel has atrocities to hide. Israel’s censorship of Gaza is an attempt to destroy evidence and control the narrative of one of the worst humanitarian crises of our time.
Our demands reflect the demands of the international community:
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Immediate and unrestricted access for all foreign journalists to enter Gaza and report independently -- without escorts, censorship, or limits on movement.
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An end to the deliberate targeting of journalists, and allowing humanitarian support for all media workers under international law.
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Accountability from Israel for attacks on the press and violations of global standards for press freedom.
Freedom of the press is not just a nicety, it’s a right in a democratic society. Sanitized military footage does not give a true picture of the actual conditions Gazans face in a land that has been bombed into rubble. It’s time to respond to the more than 250 major news organizations that have demanded access, along with Reporters without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Israel has no basis for its claim to democracy while targeting those who report the truth.
Demand that Israel lift its ban on foreign journalists and allow full access to Gaza.
The truth must not remain buried in the rubble of war.
- DFA AF Team
