Wednesday 28 February 2024

Journalists In Gaza

Since October 7th, only one Journalist has been allowed into Gaza and the journalist from CNN was only allowed to stay for two hours, was not allowed out of her vehicle and was only allowed to travel directly to, and back, from the UAE field Hospital, couldn’t talk to any Palestinians and was accompanied by Israeli representatives at all times.
The only journalists working in Gaza are the ones who were there when the attacks began and although it's difficult to get absolutely accurate statistics, it is estimated over 90 journalists have been killed in Gaza in the past 124 days since the Israeli offensive began with many more injured.
In the immediate aftermath of the Hamas attacks, all foreign journalists had access via the Israeli army to many of the worst-hit Israeli border communities, obviously to show the World the horrors inflicted on them by Hamas but with the exception of the single CNN reporter, not one foreign journalist has been allowed into Gaza, not even embedded into the Israeli army as seems to have become the norm in recent times.
I have heard from Israeli supporters that the details which do come out of Gaza, courtesy of the brave journalists trapped inside, are not independent or 'real' Journalists but are just reporting Hamas propaganda but every media outlet has been trying to gain access to Gaza but have been denied by Israel, citing the Journalists safety concerns.
Media organisations have sent letters to the Israeli's and even took them to the Israeli High Court, arguing they would take responsibility for their own safety but they refuse to allow access and the BBC's Jeremy Bowen, reporting from Jerusalem has said: 'There's no foreign correspondent worth their salt who doesn't want that access - to evaluate the situation first-hand. Why aren't we getting it? I can only surmise that Israel is not allowing reporters to work freely inside Gaza, because their soldiers are doing things they do not want us to see.'
The Israel military like to describe themselves as the most moral army in the world but until journalists are allowed to see for themselves, and with the news that is getting out seeming to make a mockery of that statement, we can only speculate that the Israeli's concern is that journalists will uncover evidence that backs up those allegations of war crimes and genocide.
What are we to deduce otherwise?