Top News Agencies Urge Israel to Open Gaza to Journalists

The world's largest news agencies—the BBC, AFP, AP, and Reuters—have issued a joint appeal to Israel, demanding that foreign journalists be allowed unrestricted access to the Gaza Strip. To reinforce their position, they have released a video featuring footage of major events and tragedies in world history, from the Allied landing in Normandy and the Vietnam War to the Rwandan genocide and the war in Ukraine. The video's main message is that all these conflicts were covered by the international press, while Gaza effectively remains a closed zone.

Since 2023, the Gaza Strip has been closed to foreign correspondents. As the BBC notes, entry is possible only in rare cases and exclusively under the strict supervision of the Israeli military. In these conditions, the entire burden of gathering and disseminating information falls on Palestinian journalists, who work in inhumane conditions and suffer unprecedented losses. According to the video's creators, there is "no one who can bear witness" to the events taking place there without personal involvement and pressure.

The tragedy of this situation is confirmed by data on killed journalists and media workers, which, although varying depending on verification methodology, unequivocally attest to the bloodiest attacks on journalists in world history.

As of September 24, 2025, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists' (CPJ) rigorously verified data, 195 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reports 220 deaths, and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) reports 245. The UN Human Rights Office notes 248 Palestinian journalists killed as a result of Israeli attacks. The numbers may continue to rise as the war continues, and the information blockade hinders the full revelation of the true picture.