Global Media Outlets Demand Gaza Access, Journalist Protection Following Deadly August
Global Media Outlets Demand Gaza Access, Journalist Protection Following Deadly August
More than 250 news organizations worldwide, including NPR, have signed an urgent appeal launched on September 1, 2025, demanding immediate action to protect journalists in Gaza, grant independent access for foreign press, and facilitate the evacuation of wounded media personnel for medical treatment abroad.
Organized by Reporters Without Borders and Avaaz, the appeal highlights the unprecedented dangers faced by journalists in the region. According to media watchdogs, at least 220 journalists have been killed by the Israeli army in Gaza in under two years, marking the deadliest period for journalists ever recorded globally. Palestinian counts place the figure even higher at 247.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the appeal as a “political manifesto against Israel,” alleging global media bias and claiming reports from Gaza propagate Hamas’s narrative.
The call for action comes amidst a significant escalation in violence against journalists. August 2025 was identified as the deadliest month on record, with Palestinian journalists reporting 15 colleagues killed. Notable incidents include an August 25 Israeli strike that killed Reuters cameraman Hussam al-Masri and four other journalists during a live transmission from a hospital stairwell, and an August 11 strike on a press tent that killed six journalists, including Al Jazeera’s prominent correspondent Anas al-Sharif.
A study by Brown University in April found that Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 2023 have resulted in more journalist deaths than all major U.S. wars combined. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) describes Israel’s actions as “the deadliest and most deliberate effort to kill and silence journalists that CPJ has ever documented,” also noting the deaths of dozens of relatives of journalists.
Despite Israel’s military acknowledging some attacks, it has often alleged affiliations with militant groups, claims that CPJ states lack credible evidence. Media outlets, including Reuters and the AP, have expressed serious concerns about Israel’s willingness to investigate these incidents, raising questions about whether the media is being deliberately targeted to suppress information.
The appeal urges the international community and the United Nations Security Council to act ahead of the upcoming General Assembly to halt the killing of journalists in Gaza and uphold press freedom, which signatories describe as under unprecedented attack.
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