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
The will of Mariam Abu Daqqa, made days before her death on Monday, was read out, bringing tears to the eyes of seasoned reporters as it contained a message to her two children.
And a voice note from Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief, Wael Dahdouh, whose son and grandchildren have been killed, was played out as he encouraged the government and British journalists to do everything possible to stop the war.
‘Starmer can do something’
Mariam Elsayeh, NUJ ethics council representative and freelance journalist, told Sky News the UK has the power to protect journalists in Gaza and ensure international journalists are allowed in.
“We can do anything, we’re a great country, and we have the law and a prime minister who graduated from law school and is known for decades for his humanitarian support,” she said.
“During the Iraq War, we all witnessed him defending activists, and he was defending the freedom of protest, and he was doing a lot, so we are recalling this from history, and we know he can do something.”
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‘A generation has been erased’
She added that foreign journalists are needed “because a generation of journalists in Gaza have been erased”.
“I’m not just looking for foreign journalists to get into Gaza, I would hope to see the Pope asking to get into Gaza, I would hope to see ministers here asking to get into Gaza, I would hope politicians in the European parliament would get in,” she said.
“If you don’t want us to report, at least let people witness, allow politicians to enter.
“This is not insulting the Palestinian people, what the Israelis are doing is insulting the entire international community because they are not respecting anyone, so at least, respect international law.”
