Joint letter to end the forced starvation and targeted killing of journalists in Gaza

To Governments, International Organisations, Media Institutions, and Civil Society:

We, the undersigned press freedom organisations, media organisations, journalists’ unions, and advocates of truth and transparency demand an end to the forced starvation and targeting of journalists in Gaza by Israel.

Journalists in Gaza are being starved to death.

Not metaphorically. Not slowly. But deliberately, and in real time, while the world watches.

One in three people in Gaza now goes days without food. Among the starving are journalists, the last independent voices still reporting from inside Gaza. These are the individuals whose courage keeps the world informed of the sheer humanitarian impact of Israel’s war on Gaza. Now, they are being forced die from hunger.

This is not incidental. This is a tactic.

The suffering of journalists is not an accident; Israel is employing deliberate tactics to silence the truth by starving them.

Since the October 2023, over 230 journalists and media workers in Gaza have been killed. Those who remain, and their families, are subjected to constant targeting, intimidation, and denied of their basic needs and now forced to choose between death by airstrike or starvation. Their situation is dire and worsening day by day. Without immediate intervention by the international community, their lives are under serious threat, and they may not be able to continue reporting; their voices may fall silent.

The journalistic community and the world bear an immense responsibility; it is our duty to raise our voices and mobilise all available means to support our colleagues in this noble profession.

If the international community fails to act, the death of these journalists will not only be a moral catastrophe, but it will also be the death of truth itself in Gaza. Our inaction will be recorded in history as a monumental failure to protect our fellow journalists and a betrayal of the principles that every journalist strives to uphold.

We, the undersigned, demand:

• Immediate Food and Medical Access: Urgent delivery of food, clean water, and medical supplies to all journalists in Gaza through protected humanitarian corridors.
• International Media Access: End the blockade on foreign press entry into Gaza and allow global journalists to operate freely and independently.
• Accountability: Investigate and prosecute those responsible for the starvation and killing of journalists in accordance with international law.
• Sustained Protection and Aid: Commit to long-term protection mechanisms for journalists operating in conflict zones, with specific support for those reporting under siege.

We refuse to stand by while truth dies. We refuse to let our colleagues perish from hunger.

Signed:

1. Al Jazeera Media Network
2. Arab organization for Human Rights in the UK
3. Aidan White, Founder, Ethical Journalism Network
4. Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists (CDFJ)
5. Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
6. Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor
7. Federation of African Journalists
8. Geneva Global Media Center (GGMC)
9. International Press Institute (IPI)
10. International Media Support (IMS)
11. Index on Censorship
12. James Foley Foundation
13. John Williams, Executive Director, The Rory Peck Trust
14. National Press Club (NPC) & NPC Media Freedom Center
15. National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ)
16. Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

We call for immediate action. Now.

#justice4journalists