Almost two years after the outbreak of Israel’s war of extermination in the Gaza Strip, journalists on the ground have issued urgent calls to their international colleagues to enter Gaza and witness the violations and crimes on the ground for themselves. This comes amid continued bombing and destruction of infrastructure and media institutions, and the killing of dozens of journalists and the serious injury of many others.

Urgent calls from the heart of Gaza – via its journalists

Palestinian journalist Momen Qurei, through his Facebook account, called on his international colleagues to go to Gaza, stressing that the occupation has been imposing a war of extermination on the Strip for more than a year and a half. Qurei said:

I am a Palestinian journalist based in Gaza, and the occupation has been waging a war of extermination against us for more than a year and a half, in which dozens of journalists have been killed and many seriously injured. We are still waiting for unions, associations and independent journalists to come to Gaza, and we are ready to welcome and accompany them.

This call highlights the dangers faced by journalists in Gaza, where warplanes and missiles directly target their workplaces, making coverage of events on the ground an extremely difficult task that requires courage and high professionalism.

18 years of photographic testimony

Photojournalist Mohammed Asaad, who has been covering the wars in Gaza for 18 years, joined the international calls, stressing the need to pressure governments to facilitate the arrival of international journalists to the Strip before any new military operation expected within a month. Asaad said:

I am photojournalist Mohammed Asaad, covering the wars on Gaza for 18 years. I call on international journalists to pressure their governments to come immediately to Gaza City before the expected occupation operation next month.

These calls underscore the magnitude of the risks facing local journalists and the urgent need to document crimes and violations on the ground and highlight them at the international level to ensure accountability and protect civilians.

Targeting of journalists and international warnings

Since the beginning of the war, Palestinian journalists have been direct targets of attacks, whether through aerial bombardment of media headquarters or targeting of press teams during coverage. Human rights and international reports have confirmed the deaths of dozens of journalists and the injury of hundreds more with varying degrees of severity, while filming and investigative equipment has been completely destroyed.

The Israeli occupation has deliberately assassinated nearly 270 journalists in Gaza since the start of the war, the latest being the massacre that claimed the lives of six journalists, including Al Jazeera correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Muhammad Qurei.

International organizations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders, have repeatedly warned that the continued targeting of media professionals is aimed at concealing crimes and violations committed against civilians.

These organizations have called on the international community to provide protection for journalists and ensure access to conflict zones without direct threat to life.

Targeted journalists in Gaza… and international pressure

The media sector in Gaza has been in an exceptional situation since the beginning of the war. Dozens of journalists have been killed and many seriously injured as a result of their locations and camera equipment being targeted, while it is almost impossible for local journalists to cover events without international assistance.

The calls by Palestinian journalists come in the context of a global appeal to pressure governments and media organizations to facilitate the entry of international journalists and accompany local colleagues to document violations.

These calls carry a clear message: the world must see with its own eyes what is happening in Gaza, before the humanitarian disaster becomes even greater than it already is.

Featured image via the Canary