International Coalition Urges Israel to Grant Media Access to Gaza

Sun Sep 14 2025 02:54:11 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

The UK joins 26 other nations in demanding immediate media access to Gaza amid escalating concerns for journalists’ safety and humanitarian crisis.

In a significant call for action, 27 countries, including the UK, have urged Israel to allow independent foreign media into Gaza as part of a broader effort to ensure press freedom and safety for journalists amidst the ongoing conflict. The condemnation of targeted attacks on journalists underscores the urgent need for protection and transparency in the region.

The UK is among 27 countries backing a statement calling for Israel to allow immediate independent foreign media access to Gaza. France, Germany, Australia, and Japan have also signed the text released by the Media Freedom Coalition - an intergovernmental group which advocates for the rights and protection of journalists globally. The statement also condemned attacks on journalists, saying those working in Gaza must be protected.

International journalists have been banned by Israel from entering the Gaza Strip independently since the start of the war nearly two years ago. Some journalists have been taken into Gaza by the IDF under controlled access. At least 192 journalists and media workers, the vast majority of them Palestinian, have been killed since then in the deadliest conflict for journalists ever documented, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Thursday's statement, the first of its kind to be made jointly by countries, emphasizes their call in light of "the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe," adding they "oppose all attempts to restrict press freedom and block entry to journalists." It states that "deliberate targeting of journalists" is unacceptable, calling for all attacks to be investigated and subsequently prosecuted.

The latest attack occurred earlier this month when four Al Jazeera journalists, including prominent reporter Anas al-Sharif, were killed in a targeted Israeli strike near Gaza City's al-Shifa Hospital. The IDF confirmed it had targeted Sharif, alleging he had "served as the head of a terrorist cell in Hamas," though the CPJ noted a lack of evidence backing these claims, which Al Jazeera has also denied.

With no international journalists allowed into Gaza, local reporters have continued throughout the war to provide coverage directly on social media and working for Palestinian or international media organizations. Israel's High Court of Justice ruled last year that restrictions on entry were justified on security grounds, though the Foreign Press Association is petitioning to lift the ban, arguing that "unprecedented restrictions" hinder reporting.

For journalists still in Gaza, conditions are dire as they face Israeli air strikes and threats of starvation. Last month, the BBC and three news agencies issued a joint statement expressing "desperate concern" for journalists, who reportedly struggle to feed themselves and their families.

More than 100 international aid organizations and human rights groups have warned of mass starvation in Gaza. However, Israel, which controls the entry of aid, has accused charities of "serving the propaganda of Hamas," despite its own figures showing that the amount of food allowed was significantly below what the World Food Programme deems necessary for basic needs.

With Israel announcing intention to conquer the entire Gaza Strip after failed ceasefire talks with Hamas, the conflict escalates following a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that led to significant casualties. According to Gaza's health ministry, the death toll in Gaza has reached at least 62,122 since hostilities reignited, with figures considered among the most reliable available.