The Golden Pen of Freedom will be awarded on Monday to photographers and video journalists from three international news agencies working in the Gaza Strip.
The World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) announced the recipients on Thursday. The award recognises individuals or organisations for outstanding contributions to press freedom.
This year’s award honours Palestinian photo and video journalists from Agence France Presse (AFP), Associated Press (AP), and Reuters, who risk their lives documenting the ongoing war in Gaza.
Foreign media's access to Gaza has been blocked by Israel, leaving international outlets reliant on reporting from Palestinian journalists.
WAN-IFRA acknowledged the journalists’ courage in its statement.
It noted that, for more than two and a half years, journalists in Gaza have reported on death, destruction, and human suffering with unparalleled dedication.
They are both chroniclers and victims of the conflict unfolding around them, the association added.
The award also commemorates reporters injured or killed in Gaza while performing their duties.
Following Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, Tel Aviv launched a military operation in Gaza in which over 72,000 people have reportedly been killed, according to the local health ministry.
Reporters Without Borders has documented the deaths of more than 220 journalists in Gaza as a result of Israeli military actions.
