Photo: Mohamed Salem/Reuters
On Tuesday, major German media outlets called on Israel to grant them access to the war-torn Gaza Strip, arguing that the “near-total exclusion of international media (…) is unprecedented in modern history,” AFP reports.
“For almost a year, we have been requesting permission from the Israeli government to enter the Gaza Strip,” the open letter stated, signed by the editors-in-chief of around 15 leading media and audiovisual organizations.
The media also urged Egypt to allow access through the Rafah crossing into Palestinian territory.
Israel has been at war with Hamas since the bloody October 7, 2023, attack on its territory by the Palestinian Islamist group.
German media argue that “those preventing independent reporting on this war undermine their own credibility.” They added, “By denying us access to Gaza, the conditions for potential human rights violations are created.”
The open letter, addressed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, was sent on Monday, the outlets reported.
Among the signatories are editors and journalists from Der Spiegel, Die Welt, public broadcasters ARD and ZDF, news agency DPA, and the German Journalists’ Association.
They emphasized that they have extensive experience reporting from conflict zones and stated, “We are aware of the risks. We are ready to take them. Give us access to Gaza. Let us work, for the benefit of all.”
According to AFP, citing official Israeli data, the October 7 Hamas attack resulted in 1,205 deaths, most of whom were civilians. Of the 251 people abducted that day, 97 remain held in Gaza, with 33 declared dead by the army.
As reported by the health ministry of Hamas in Gaza, more than 41,000 people have died due to Israeli strikes, with the majority being women and children, according to UN data.
