UK joins 27 nations calling for immediate media access to Gaza

The UK has joined the members of the Media Freedom Coalition in urging Israel to "allow immediate independent foreign media access and afford protection for journalists operating in Gaza".

Alongside foreign media access, the coalition also condemned "all violence" against journalists, citing the "high number of fatalities, arrests and detentions”.

Most of these fatalities were Palestinian journalists reporting from the enclave. At least 192 journalists have been killed since the start of the war in October 2023, at least 184 of which were Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has accused Israel of "engaging in the deadliest and most deliberate effort to kill and silence journalists" it had ever documented.

The Israeli government has denied deliberately targeting reporters and has accused some of the journalists killed of being "terrorists".

The coalition’s statement said: "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.

"We also strongly condemn all violence directed against journalists and media workers, especially the extremely high number of fatalities, arrests and detentions."

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Israel has banned foreign media from entering Gaza since October 2023, other than for brief, tightly controlled trips escorted by the Israeli military, while numerous Palestinian journalists in the region have been killed.

The coalition made its statement - the first of its kind to be made jointly by several countries - “in light of the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza”.

It added that the “deliberate targeting of journalists is unacceptable,” highlighting that journalists are protected civilians under international law, and calling for all attacks against media workers to be investigated according to national and international law.

The latest of these attacks came earlier this month, when prominent Al Jazeera journalist Anas Al-Sharif, known as the “voice of Gaza” was killed along with five of his colleagues in a targeted strike on a press tent near Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital.

The IDF confirmed that it had deliberately targeted al-Sharif in the strike, alleging he had “served as the head of a terrorist cell in Hamas".

This claim has long been denied by al-Sharif and Al Jazeera, and Israel provided only limited evidence.

The Media Freedom Coalition statement reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire, the release of the remaining Israeli hostages and "unhindered flow of humanitarian aid" into Gaza.

Other signatories alongside the UK included Australia, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Ukraine.

The statement comes a day after Israel called up 60,000 reservists ahead of an expanded military offensive in Gaza City, a move which has been widely condemned by its allies.

The UN warned the displacement of more Palestinians would have "horrific humanitarian impacts" for a population on the verge of mass hunger and famine.

The Israeli prime minister is expected to give his final approval for the operation during a security cabinet meeting on Thursday night, according to an official.

In Israel, families of some of the 50 hostages still being held in Gaza gathered in Tel Aviv to condemn the expanded operation. Israel believes around 20 hostages are still alive.

"Forty-two hostages were kidnapped alive and murdered in captivity due to military pressure and delay in signing a deal," said Dalia Cusnir, whose brother-in-law, Eitan Horn, is still being held captive. Mr Horn's brother Iair was released during the last ceasefire.

"Enough to sacrifice the hostages. Enough to sacrifice the soldiers, both regular and reservists. Enough to sacrifice the evacuees. Enough to sacrifice the younger generation in the country," said Bar Goddard, the daughter of Meni Goddard, whose body is being held by Hamas.

Additional protests are planned for Thursday night in Tel Aviv.