At a November 19 funeral, Palestinians mourn local journalists Hassouneh Salim and Sari Mansour, killed in an Israeli airstrike in central Gaza on November 18. PHOTO/REUTER/STRINGER.
By OUR CORRESPONDENT
The leaders of more than 30 news organizations from across the world, including the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Reuters, have joined an open letter (full text below) affirming their solidarity with journalists reporting in Gaza.
The letter, coordinated by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) with the support of the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), demonstrates strong and unified support for colleagues reporting from Gaza in the deadliest conflict for journalists ever documented by CPJ.
“For nearly five months, journalists and media workers in Gaza – overwhelmingly, the sole source of on-the-ground reporting from within the Palestinian territory – have been working in unprecedented conditions,” the letter reads. “…These journalists – on whom the international news media and the international community rely for information about the situation inside Gaza – continue to report despite grave personal risk.”
In a press release, CPJ said the letter goes on to remind the international community that journalists are civilians and authorities must protect journalists as noncombatants according to international law.
A total of at least 94 journalists have been killed in the Israel-Gaza war; the majority of them (89) were Palestinians killed by the Israeli military.
The signatories include outlets from Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, India, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Additional signatories are welcome. Please contact letter@cpj.org to add your news organization, including name of signatory, title, and name of organization.
The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide. We defend the right of journalists to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal.
Read the full letter here.
