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October 23, 2024 – Palestine/Israel –
The International Press Institute (IPI) has issued an urgent call to the international community to pressure Israel to uphold its obligations under international law and protect journalists covering the war in Gaza. As the death toll among media workers continues to rise, IPI warns that without immediate intervention, journalism itself is at risk of being extinguished in one of the world’s deadliest conflicts for the press.
Since October 7, 2023, more than 170 journalists—almost all Palestinian—have been killed in Gaza and southern Lebanon. Many were identified as press and were targeted while reporting from marked media locations, raising grave concerns about deliberate attacks and potential war crimes. In addition to the loss of life, at least 48 media outlets in Gaza have been destroyed or disabled, contributing to an escalating information blackout.
IPI is urging governments, the United Nations, and international human rights institutions to take decisive steps. These include compelling Israel to respect international humanitarian law, ensuring the protection of civilian journalists, and halting attacks on media personnel and infrastructure. The organization is also calling for independent investigations into all journalist killings, emphasizing that accountability is essential to prevent future violations.
Another key demand is for Israel to allow immediate and unrestricted access to Gaza for international journalists. At present, foreign reporters are barred from entering the territory, leaving Palestinian journalists as the only witnesses to the humanitarian catastrophe. IPI stresses that without independent reporting, misinformation thrives, and the human cost of the conflict remains obscured from the global view.
The IPI’s statement reflects growing concern among press freedom organizations that the targeting of journalists in Gaza is not incidental, but part of a broader effort to suppress documentation of the war. IPI reminds the world that journalists are civilians under international law and must be protected accordingly.
In calling for global solidarity, IPI underscores a simple truth: when journalists are silenced, so is accountability. The international community must act—not only to protect lives, but to defend the right to report freely and bear witness to history.
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