Dozens of news organisation leaders from across the world, including the Association for International Broadcasting, Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Reuters, have joined an open letter (full text below) affirming their solidarity with journalists reporting in Gaza.

The letter, coordinated by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) with the support of the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), demonstrates strong and unified support for colleagues reporting from Gaza in the deadliest conflict for journalists ever documented by CPJ.

“For nearly five months, journalists and media workers in Gaza – overwhelmingly, the sole source of on-the-ground reporting from within the Palestinian territory – have been working in unprecedented conditions,” the letter reads. “…These journalists – on whom the international news media and the international community rely for information about the situation inside Gaza – continue to report despite grave personal risk.”

The letter goes on to remind the international community that journalists are civilians and authorities must protect journalists as noncombatants according to international law.

A total of at least 94 journalists have been killed in the Israel-Gaza war; the majority of them (89) were Palestinians killed by the Israeli military.

The signatories include outlets from Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, India, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Additional signatories are welcome. Please contact letter@cpj.org to add your news organisation, including name of signatory, title, and name of organisation.

Open letter on journalists in Gaza

We, the undersigned, stand united with Palestinian journalists in their call for safety, protection, and the freedom to report.

For nearly five months, journalists and media workers in Gaza – overwhelmingly, the sole source of on-the-ground reporting from within the Palestinian territory – have been working in unprecedented conditions: at least 89 have been killed in the war, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, more journalists than have ever been killed in a single country over an entire year.

These journalists – on whom the international news media and the international community rely  for information about the situation inside Gaza – continue to report despite grave personal risk. They continue despite the loss of family, friends, and colleagues, the destruction of homes and offices, constant displacement, communications blackouts, and shortages of food and fuel.

Journalists are civilians and Israeli authorities must protect journalists as noncombatants according to international law. Those responsible for any violations of that longstanding protection should be held accountable. Attacks on journalists are also attacks on truth. We commit to championing the safety of journalists in Gaza, which is fundamental for the protection of press freedom everywhere.

Signatories 

1. Kim Godwin, President, ABC NEWS
2. Phil Chetwynd, Global News Director, Agence France-Presse
3. Hossam Kanafani, Editor in Chief, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed
4. Nora Younis, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Al-Manassa, Egypt
5. Alaa al Ghatrevy, Editor in Chief, Al Masry Al Youm, Egypt
6. Ghassan Hajjar, Managing Editor, An-Nahar, Lebanon
7. Rawan Damen, Director General, ARIJ (Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism)
8. Shiro Nakamura, President, The Asahi Shimbun, Japan
9. Nicole Dungca, President, Asian American Journalists Association, United States
10. Julie Pace, Executive Editor, Associated Press
11. Simon Spanswick, Chief Executive, Association for International Broadcasters
12. Deborah Turness, CEO, BBC News
13. Hikmet Adal, Editor, Bianet, Turkey
14.  Ingrid Ciprián-Matthews, President, CBS News
15. Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO, CNN Worldwide
16. Daoud Kuttab, Director General, Community Media Network, Jordan
17. Branko Brkic, Editor in Chief, Daily Maverick, South Africa
18. Alia Ibrahim, Co-founder and CEO, Daraj, Lebanon
19. Dirk Kurbjuweit, Editor in Chief, Der Spiegel, Germany
20. Barbara Junge, Editor in Chief, Die Tageszeitung, Germany
21. Ulrike Winkelmann, Editor in Chief, Die Tageszeitung, Germany
22. Khaled Elbalshy, President, Egyptian Journalists Syndicate
23. Mohamed Saad Abdel Hafiz, Egyptian Journalists Syndicate / Managing Editor, Al-Shorouk, Egypt
24. Patrick Mayoyo, Director Editorial Innovations, Eyewitness Africa, Kenya
25. Roula Khalaf, Editor, Financial Times, UK
26. Giuseppe Di Maula, Editor in Chief, FotosIntensi, Italy
27. Laurie Hays, Editor in Chief/CEO, The Fuller Project
28. Katharine Viner, Editor in Chief, The Guardian
29. Aluf Benn, Editor in Chief, Haaretz
30. Geordie Grieg, Editor in Chief, The Independent
31. Sandy Prieto-Romualdez, Chairperson, Inquirer Group of Companies, Philippines
32. Deirdre Veldon, Managing Director, former Deputy Editor, The Irish Times, Ireland
33. Rachel Corp, Chief Executive, ITN, UK
34. Andrew Dagnell, Editor, ITV News, UK
35. Amir Rotem, Editor in Chief, Local Call
36. Terry Tang, Interim Executive Editor, Los Angeles Times
37. Mohammed Al-Fazari, CEO and Editor in Chief, Muwatin Media Network
38. Rameeza Nizami, Managing Director, Nawaiwaqt Group, Pakistan
39. Pamella Sittoni, Group Managing Editor, Nation Media Group, Kenya
40. Yvette Cabrera, President, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, United States
41. Rebecca Blumenstein, President, Editorial, NBC News
42. David Remnick, Editor, The New Yorker
43. AG Sulzberger, Publisher, The New York Times
44. Edith Chapin, SVP & Editor in Chief, NPR, United States
45. Martha Ramos, President, World Editors Forum / Chief Editorial Officer, Organización Editorial Mexicana, Mexico
46. Amalie Kestler, Managing Editor in Chief, Politiken, Denmark
47. Hans Väre, Editor in Chief, Postimees Grupp, Estonia
48. Alan Rusbridger, Editor, Prospect magazine, UK
49. Lara Bitar, Editor in Chief, The Public Source, Lebanon
50. Ritu Kapur, CEO, The Quint, India
51. Maria Ressa, CEO and Co-Founder, Rappler, Philippines
52. Alessandra Galloni, Editor in Chief, Reuters, UK
53. Ayman Mhanna, Executive Director, Samir Kassir Foundation, Lebanon
54. Kamal Siriwardana, Editor in Chief, SMN24Media, Sri Lanka
55. Nwabisa Makunga, Editor in Chief, The Sowetan, South Africa
56. Esther Ng, Chief Content Officer, Star Media Group Berhad, Malaysia
57. Wolfgang Krach, Editor in Chief, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany
58. Wafaa Haidar, Director, Tele Liban, Lebanon
59. Anne Marie Owens, Editor in Chief, Toronto Star, Canada
60. Lyas Hallas, Co-founder/CEO, Twala, Algeria
61. Fernando Belzunce, Editorial Director, Vocento, Spain
62. Assaad Maroun, Chairman / General Manager, Voice of Lebanon
63. Sally Buzbee, Executive Editor, The Washington Post
64. Vincent Peyrègne, CEO, World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA)
65. Ghousoon Bisharat, Editor in Chief, +972 Magazine
66. Nancy Prager-Kamel, Chairperson, Association of Foreign Press Correspondents, United States
67. Julia Montfort, Editor in Chief, Guiti News, France
68. Elena Cosentino, Director, International News Safety Institute, UK
69. Ebele Okobi, CEO, The New Humanitarian
70. Laurent Richard, Founder and Executive Founder, Forbidden Stories, France
71. Marc Saikali, Chairman, Ici Beyrouth and This is Beirut, Lebanon
72. Maha Al Bahnasawi, Managing Director, ONA Media Services, Egypt