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British journalists have called on Sir Keir Starmer to protect their Gazan counterparts and press Israel to allow international reporters into the war zone.
A vigil was held opposite Downing Street on Wednesday for the nearly 200 journalists killed in Gaza since the war began in October 2023.
Ahead of the gathering, the National Union of Journalists’ (NUJ) London freelance branch handed a letter to Number 10 calling on the prime minister to clarify what steps the government is taking to protect journalists in Gaza and to ensure they have safe access to food, water and necessary equipment.
They also asked what the government is doing to get international journalists into Gaza to report freely. Currently, Israel only allows them in under IDF supervision.
At least 189 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since October 2023, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
It is the deadliest period for journalists since the CPJ started gathering data in 1992.
Israel has repeatedly denied targeting reporters and accused some of those killed of being terrorists, including prominent Al Jazeera reporter Anas al-Sharif, who was killed two weeks ago.
The latest attack happened on Monday, when five journalists were among 21 people killed at Nasser Hospital in a “double tap” strike. Benjamin Netanyahu described it as a “tragic mishap”.
Journalists at the vigil held up placards with the names of Gazan journalists, many of whom were freelance, who have been killed. They read their names out.
Read more:
Israel may say it is not targeting journalists – but it is certainly killing a lot of them
Journalists killed on Monday (L-R): Mohammed Salama, Moaz Abu Taha, Hussam al Masri, Ahmed Abu Aziz and Mariam Dagga
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