NEW YORK, (PIC)
The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, on Thursday urged international media institutions and journalists to pressure Israel to allow access to the Gaza Strip, to convey the suffering and support their colleagues there.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Lazzarini stated, “International journalists’ coverage of conflicts and wars is a norm, but not in Gaza.”
He added that “for nearly 11 months, international media crews have been denied the freedom to enter Gaza and report on the humanitarian crisis and the consequences of the war.”
The UN official expressed admiration for Palestinian journalists in Gaza, noting that they “continue to carry the torch despite many of them being killed.”
Lazzarini highlighted the need for journalists in Gaza to receive support from their colleagues. He emphasized that “the entry of international media into Gaza is essential to independently present the enormous humanitarian needs and the intense efforts made by relief organizations against all odds.”
He also stressed the necessity for international news organizations to exert more pressure for access to Gaza and to report freely on the ongoing events there.
Palestinian and international media outlets have repeatedly warned about the targeting of media crews by the Israeli occupation forces in Gaza, calling for their protection, amidst Israeli disregard for these calls.
Since the onset of the Israeli genocide against Gaza on October 7, 2023, the Israeli army has killed over 170 journalists, according to the Government Media Office in the enclave. Data published by the Palestinian Prisoners Society on Monday indicated that the Israeli occupation has arrested 98 Palestinian journalists since the war began, including at least 17 journalists from Gaza.
