BBC and news agencies launch film calling on Israel to allow foreign journalists into Gaza

A short film produced by the BBC and three international news organizations has been released in Gaza, urging Israel to allow foreign journalists to report from there. The film, narrated by veteran BBC journalist David Dimbleby, was released by the BBC, Agence France-Presse (AFP), the Associated Press (AP), and Reuters.

"International journalists must now be allowed into Gaza to share the burden with the Palestinian journalists there so that we can all bring the truth to the world," Dimbleby said. Since the 2023 offensive began after the Hamas 7 October attacks, international journalists have been barred from entering Gaza alone. Israeli forces have permitted a small number of foreign journalists to enter the Strip, but only under monitored entry.

Official Responses and Justifications

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have previously stated that while journalists are safe in Gaza, the military "accompanies them when they are on the battlefield." The Israeli Foreign Ministry and the IDF have since contacted the BBC for clarification. In a related matter, Israel's High Court of Justice ruled last year that the restrictions on entering Gaza were justified on security grounds.

BBC News CEO Deborah Turness highlighted the issue, saying, "It's almost two years since Hamas' atrocities on October 7th. Since then, a war has raged in Gaza, but international journalists are not allowed to enter. We must now be let into Gaza. We're going to work alongside local journalists, so we'll all have the truth out there."

The Film's Content and Context

The film premiered in New York at an event hosted by the Committee to Protect Journalists in conjunction with the United Nations General Assembly. It includes historical footage of journalists covering major world events, such as the D-Day landings, the Vietnam War, the 1984 famine in Ethiopia, the Tiananmen Square demonstrations, the Rwandan genocide, the Syrian refugee crisis, and the war in Ukraine.

In the film, Dimbleby says, "Every day, journalists from around the world risk their lives to cover the people's suffering, but when it comes to Gaza, the job of reporting goes solely to Palestinian journalists, who are paying a high price, leaving less to witness."

Previous Efforts and Casualties

This is not the first time news organizations have requested that Israeli authorities admit journalists to the territory. In July, a joint statement from the BBC, AFP, AP, and Reuters expressed insecurity for journalists in Gaza, who are working under "horrific conditions, including hunger and displacement." In August, 27 countries, including the United Kingdom, backed a petition urging Israel to allow immediate foreign media access to Gaza and condemned the killing of journalists there.

According to the UN Human Rights Office, at least 248 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza. However, Israel has denied that its forces assault journalists. The Israeli military launched its Gaza protest in response to the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed nearly 1,200 civilians and took 251 others hostage. According to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry, at least 619 people have been killed in Gaza since then. The UN and others cite the ministry's statistics as the most reliable source for casualty data.