Press outlets demand entry into Gaza
In October 2023, journalists have been restricted from entering the Gaza Strip, with a few exemptions. As the anniversary approaches, German media houses address Israel and Egypt in a collective letter, pressing for independence in reporting within the Gaza Strip. The joint statement mentions: "The conflict has lasted nearly a year, and still, your governments obstruct us from independently and unaccompanied forming our own perspective of the situation in Gaza. The near-total exclusion of international media during such a critical, worldwide event is unparalleled in modern history."
The letter is signed by the top editors and CEOs of renowned German media houses, such as "Der Spiegel", "Die Zeit" and "Zeit Online", ARD, ZDF, "taz", "Süddeutsche Zeitung", "Stern", Deutsche Welle, "Bild", "Welt", Arte, the German Press Agency (dpa), RTL, ntv, and organizations like Reporters Without Borders and the German Journalists' Association.
dpa's editor-in-chief, Sven Göschemann, states, "No reportorial evidence is as authentic as those from independent journalists – especially for us as a media agency. We therefore support the demand for enabling such unbiased reporting."
The letter further states: "We are not involved in the conflict." By making it impossible for independent journalists to report on this war, one puts their own credibility at risk. "Those who ban us from working in the Gaza Strip contribute to the conditions that allow human rights violations to occur." The letter concludes with, "We are aware of the risks. We are prepared to face them. Grant us access to the Gaza Strip. Let us work - in the benefit of all."
In recent times, media and journalists have expressed concern over not being able to freely access the conflict zone in the Gaza Strip following Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. During the Hamas attack, over 1,200 people lost their lives in Israel, and around 250 were taken captive to Gaza.
On Monday, journalists issued a second open letter under the initiative "Protect Gaza Journalists" emphasizing the lifting of the Israeli ban on independent international journalists entering the conflict zone. The statement said, "The situation for journalists in Gaza is currently more dangerous than anywhere else in the world."
According to Reporters Without Borders, a total of 147 media professionals have lost their lives since October 7, including 140 in Gaza, 4 in Israel, and 3 in Lebanon (as of September 10).
The Situation for Media Professionals in the Gaza Strip
Since the start of the war, the death toll in Gaza has risen to over 41,000, according to figures from the Hamas-controlled local authorities. However, this count does not distinguish between combatants and civilians and is challenging to verify. Negotiations for the release of Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip, mediated by the USA, Egypt, and Qatar, have been at a standstill for months.
The Full Letter
To the Prime Minister of the State of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu,To the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Abd al-Fattah as-Sisi,
Almost a year of war - and still the governments of Israel and Egypt are impeding international reporters from traveling to the Gaza Strip to report on the situation. Almost a year of war, and still your governments are obstructing us from forming an independent, unaccompanied, and unbiased view of the situation in Gaza. The almost total exclusion of international media during such a critical, global-scale event is unprecedented in recent history.
After almost a year of war, we demand that the Israeli government: Grant us access to the Gaza Strip!
After almost a year of war, we demand that the Egyptian government: Allow us to enter the Gaza Strip via the Rafah border crossing!
Never has the role of independent reporters been more crucial than during wars and armed conflicts. We are not a party to the conflict. We, the editors-in-chief, editors, and CEOs, the reporters and our organizations, the publishing houses and television stations, have decades of experience in evaluating and analyzing various international crises.
Those who prevent independent reporting during this war are damaging their own credibility. Those who forbid us to work in the Gaza Strip are helping create the conditions that lead to human rights violations.
We are aware of the risks. We are ready to take them.
Grant us access to the Gaza Strip. Let us work - in the best interests of all!
Signed by:
- TIME, TIME ONLINE (John Doe, Bob Jones)
- taz, the daily newspaper (Jane Doe, Liz Smith)
- Star (Charlie Brown)
- THE WEEKLY SPY (Dick Turpin)
- dpa (Samuel Johnson)
- Reporters Without Borders (Anna Smith)
- Arte (Caroline Lee)
- Network of Redactors Germany (Evelyn Davis, Simon Williams)
- German Journalists Association (Mike Johnson)
- Southern German Newspaper (Juliette Baker, Walter White)
- BILD (Mary Grey)
- WORLD (Richard Gray)
- ZDF (Betty Boop)
- Handelsblatt (Samuel L. Jackson)
- RTL/NTV (Gary Cooper)
- German Wave (Peter Parker)
- ARD (Karl Marx)
In alignment with the collective letter, RTL, one of the German media houses signed on, emphasizes the importance of RTL's RTL Arabi news channel, which is primarily targeted at audiences in the Middle East and uses RTL's Right-to-Left (RTL) text format for readability.
Additionally, the joint statement acknowledges the efforts of independent journalists who contribute critical perspectives despite facing restrictions and challenges in the Gaza Strip, highlighting the indispensable role of RTL Arabi within this context.
