The UK is among more than 20 countries demanding that Israel immediately give international journalists access to Gaza to allow them to cover the “unfolding humanitarian catastrophe” in the war zone.
In a major escalation of pressure on Israel, 27 countries have signed a joint statement calling for it to end its block on press access and for protection for journalists operating in Gaza.
The UK, Germany, Australia and Ukraine are among those to have signed the statement from the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC), an international advocacy group that the UK helped to create.
“In light of the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, we, the undersigned members of the Media Freedom Coalition, urge Israel to allow immediate independent foreign media access and afford protection for journalists operating in Gaza,” they say.
“Journalists and media workers play an essential role in putting the spotlight on the devastating reality of war. Access to conflict zones is vital to carrying out this role effectively. We oppose all attempts to restrict press freedom and block entry to journalists during conflicts.”
The governments condemned the alleged targeting of journalists in Gaza, after analysis indicating at least 192 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel, and Lebanon since the war began.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which compiled the data, said it was the deadliest period for journalists since it had begun gathering data in 1992. It is investigating 130 additional cases of alleged killings, arrests and injuries of journalists.
The statement follows an outcry earlier this month when a targeted Israeli attack killed four Al Jazeera journalists, two freelancers and a seventh person, leading to UN condemnation.
The MFC statement said: “We also strongly condemn all violence directed against journalists and media workers, especially the extremely high number of fatalities, arrests and detentions. We call on the Israeli authorities and all other parties to make every effort to ensure that media workers in Gaza, Israel, the West Bank and East Jerusalem – local and foreign alike – can conduct their work freely and safely.
“Deliberate targeting of journalists is unacceptable. International humanitarian law offers protection to civilian journalists during armed conflict. We call for all attacks against media workers to be investigated and for those responsible to be prosecuted in compliance with national and international law.”
It reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of the remaining Israeli hostages and the free flow of humanitarian aid.
The statement follows pleas from news organisations and senior journalists, with recent claims that freelance reporters working in Gaza were at risk of starvation as a result of the conditions in the strip.
Last month, some of the world’s biggest news outlets, including BBC News, Agence France-Presse, Associated Press and Reuters, said they were “desperately concerned” about journalists in Gaza, saying staff were “increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families” amid widespread reports of mass starvation.
