The Flemish Association of Journalists (VVJ) has called for Israel to grant immediate access to foreign journalists in the Gaza Strip.
The association aligns with the request made by Jean-Noël Barrot, the French Minister for Foreign Affairs, who demanded on Tuesday that foreign journalists be allowed in Gaza to report and witness the events unfolding there. The French news agency AFP also reported that its Palestinian freelance journalists in Gaza are unable to work due to severe hunger.
The VVJ warned of the escalating humanitarian crisis and growing famine, emphasising that press freedom and independent reporting are under significant threat. The association expressed concern over the potential loss of independent journalism in an area where human rights and humanitarian standards are gravely violated.
International organisations, such as Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and various international media outlets made similar appeals in June, criticising Israel for barring foreign journalists from Gaza and highlighting the deaths of many Palestinian journalists.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) reports that over 171 Palestinian journalists and media professionals have died in the Gaza Strip since the conflict began on 7 October 2023.
