RSF Pledges €100,000 to Support Journalists in Gaza Facing Extreme Danger

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has dedicated over €100,000 to assist more than 250 journalists still working in Gaza, offering emergency aid as conditions for reporters deteriorate amid the ongoing Israeli military operations. The funding, provided in coordination with the Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ), is being used to deliver vital support to journalists facing unprecedented risks, shortages, and displacement.

Since the war began on October 7, 2023, at least 130 journalists have been killed in Gaza, making it one of the deadliest places in the world for the press. Journalists have not only lost colleagues but also homes, families, and equipment. Many have been forced to report under siege, with limited electricity, communications, or physical safety. With international media largely absent from the ground, local journalists remain the only eyes and ears documenting the war from within.

RSF’s financial assistance has allowed for the distribution of emergency kits, including protective equipment and supplies for displaced reporters. It has also helped establish safe working spaces powered by solar energy, enabling journalists to continue reporting despite infrastructure collapse. One of the secure facilities is designed specifically to support women journalists, offering them a protected environment to carry out their work.

Antoine Bernard, RSF’s Director of Advocacy and Assistance, emphasized that “coverage of the war depends on a decreasing number of journalists who risk their lives every day. RSF is at their side.” Hoda Osman, Executive Editor of ARIJ, highlighted the emotional toll of reporting a war while living through it and stressed the importance of empowering local journalists with resources and recognition.

Beyond material support, RSF is also calling on international organizations to open Gaza to foreign journalists and to enforce stronger protections for media workers under international humanitarian law. They warn that Gaza risks becoming an “information black hole” if the remaining journalists are not supported and protected.

This initiative reflects a crucial lifeline for Gaza’s media community, ensuring that stories of war, suffering, and resilience continue to reach the outside world despite the extreme danger.