Seventeen members of the U.S. Senate on Wednesday called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to press Israel to ensure the protection of international journalists and allow them access to the Gaza Strip. The appeal came a week after a similar call was made by President Donald Trump.
اضافة اعلان
The senators—16 Democrats and Independent Senator Bernie Sanders—said in a statement that “the United States must make clear to Israel that banning media organizations, imposing censorship, and targeting or threatening journalists is unacceptable and must end.”
In their letter to the Secretary of State, Israel’s close ally, the senators urged the State Department “to press the Israeli government to protect journalists in Gaza and allow international media access to the Palestinian territory devastated by the war that has continued for 22 months.”
Last week, Trump, responding to a question on Israel’s refusal to allow international media into Gaza, said: “It would be very good for me if journalists went” into the Strip, adding: “It is very dangerous for journalists, but I hope it happens.”
Trump’s remarks came four days after an Israeli airstrike killed six journalists, a strike that sparked international outrage. In their letter, the 17 lawmakers referred to this incident.
They said in their statement that “Israel appears to have publicly acknowledged targeting and killing journalists who reveal to the world the scale of suffering in Gaza,” denouncing what they said could constitute “a violation of international law.”
The letter stressed that “advancing press freedom globally, ensuring the safety of journalists, and upholding international law are essential to America’s leadership role and to advancing its interests and values.”
On Wednesday evening, The Washington Post reported that Shahid Qureshi, the director of the State Department’s Middle East press office, was dismissed from his post for suggesting that Washington extend condolences for the journalists killed in Gaza.
Reporters Without Borders, the media rights watchdog, said in early July that more than 200 local journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 2023.
Due to the blockade imposed on Gaza, many media outlets around the world rely on photos, videos, and reports provided by local Palestinian journalists to cover the conflict.
