Sixty press freedom and journalist groups have signed an open letter urging the European Union to take action against Israel for violating media freedom.
The joint letter has been organised by the Committee to Protect Journalists and warns that Israel has killed more than 100 journalists in Gaza since 7 October 2023.
The letter also accuses the Israel Defence Forces of deliberately targeting and killing at least five journalists, with another ten deaths under investigation.
And it condemns the ban on independent media accessing Gaza, warning that 49 journalists and media workers have been detained by Israel since 7 October.
‘The cumulative effect of these abuses is to create the conditions for an information void’
The letter accuses the Israeli government of censorship, internet shutdowns and of destroying or damaging more than 50 media offices in Gaza.
The CPJ has called for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement (which underpins trade relations) and further targeted sanctions. And it has urged European leaders to publicly demand Israel stops attacks on the media.
The letter states: “Journalists play an indispensable role in documenting and reporting on war crimes and other human rights violations. The cumulative effect of these abuses is to create the conditions for an information void, as well as for propaganda and mis- and disinformation.
“While Israel contends that its actions are to keep its people safe, history shows that censorship and denial of the right to information is a flawed path to peace or security.”
Signatories to the CPJ letter include: Index on Censorship, Human Rights Watch, the Rory Peck Trust, Reporters Without Borders and numerous European journalist unions (though not the UK’s National Union of Journalists).
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