Human rights group urges international journalists be given unrestricted access to Gaza

The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has called for international journalists and media outlets, along with fact-finding committees and international investigators, to be granted unrestricted access to the Gaza Strip. The organisation have called for the urgent need to document what it described as ‘crimes of genocide’ committed by Israel and to ensure accountability and legal responsibility for serious violations against civilians.

In a statement, the group said:

There is an urgent need to open Gaza to international journalists and media teams for unrestricted field access to cover the humanitarian catastrophe left by this genocide. Israel has systematically sought to erase truth by targeting Palestinian press, killing at least 254 journalists, destroying most media institutions, and continuing to bar international journalists from entering the enclave.

Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor calls on International media outlets to immediately dispatch their teams to Gaza to document the scale of destruction, the extent of civilian suffering, and to monitor compliance with the ceasefire. Covering developments in Gaza is not merely a professional mission but a moral and humanitarian duty toward victims of one of the most brutal crimes of modern times.

They emphasised:

Any restriction on press freedom or denial of entry to media and international investigation mechanisms perpetuates efforts to conceal facts and withhold evidence from the global public, obstructing independent documentation of genocide and widespread destruction inflicted upon civilians and infrastructure.

Human rights group says Gaza must be opened to observers

The group also explained that the success of the ceasefire agreement that came into effect on Friday under the auspices of Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the United States depends on respect for international humanitarian law, an end to the ongoing violations against Palestinians, and addressing the root causes of the conflict, namely the occupation and the blockade imposed on the Strip for years.

The statement noted that Israel has prevented foreign journalists from entering Gaza, while systematically targeting the Palestinian press, killing more than 250 journalists and destroying most media institutions in an attempt to obscure the facts and prevent the documentation of crimes.

The group also stressed that opening Gaza to the international media is an urgent necessity to cover the catastrophic humanitarian situation and ensure that the true picture is conveyed to the world. It also emphasised that preventing the press and international commissions from working reinforces a policy of impunity and undermines the chances of justice.

They concluded their call by urging the international community to take immediate action to ensure that journalists and investigators have access to Gaza, stressing that freedom of the press is a prerequisite for achieving justice and uncovering the truth:

Ignoring human rights or the ongoing occupation in any political initiative perpetuates impunity and enables Israel to repeatedly commit atrocities without accountability. Rigorous monitoring of Israeli practices in Gaza is vital to prevent the recurrence of genocide. Preventing genocide is not a political choice or negotiable matter but an absolute legal and moral duty requiring decisive international action.

Featured image via the Canary