The star and other German media have written an open letter to Israel and Egypt, demanding that independent reporting from the Gaza Strip be permitted.
The star and other media companies from Germany are demanding in an open letter from the governments in Israel and Egypt that their reporters be allowed access to the Gaza Strip. The joint appeal states: “Almost a year of war, and your governments are still preventing us from gaining an unaccompanied and independent picture of the situation in Gaza. The almost complete exclusion of international media in a crisis of this enormous global scope is unprecedented in recent history.”
The open letter is signed by editors-in-chief and directors of public and private national media houses: In addition to the star These include “Der Spiegel”, “Die Zeit” and “Zeit Online”, ARD, ZDF, “taz”, “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, Deutsche Welle, “Bild”, “Welt”, Arte, the editorial network Germany, “Handelsblatt”, RTL and ntv as well as the organizations Reporters Without Borders and the German Journalists Association. Germany’s largest news agency, the German Press Agency, has also signed. DPA editor-in-chief Sven Gösmann says: “Nothing is more truthful than the eyewitness testimony of independent journalists – especially for us as a news agency. That is why we support the demand to enable this independent reporting.”
The open letter, which was reportedly sent on Monday and is specifically addressed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sisi, continues: “We are not a party to the conflict.” Anyone who makes independent reporting on this war impossible is damaging their own credibility. “Anyone who prohibits us from working in the Gaza Strip is creating the conditions for human rights to be violated.” The appeal ends with the following sentences: “We know the risk we are taking. We are prepared to accept it. Grant us access to the Gaza Strip. Let us work – in the interest of everyone!”
Israel prevents journalists from working
In recent months, media and journalists have repeatedly complained that they are not allowed unhindered access to the war in the Gaza Strip, which is a consequence of the attack by the terrorist organization Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023. In the Hamas massacre, more than 1,200 people were killed in Israel and about 250 others were taken hostage to Gaza.
Since the war began, the number of people killed in Gaza has risen to more than 41,000, according to the local authorities controlled by Hamas. The number does not distinguish between fighters and civilians and is difficult to verify. The indirect negotiations for the release of the Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip, in which the USA, Egypt and Qatar are mediating, have been going in circles for months. The Gaza Strip is as good as sealed off. In the open letter, the media houses demand general access from Israel and access from Egypt specifically via the Rafah border crossing. Only a few international journalists have been able to travel to the Gaza Strip accompanied by the Israeli army.
On Monday, there was another open letter from numerous journalists. Among other things, they demanded the lifting of an Israeli travel ban on independent international reporters entering the war zone.
Read the full text of the open letter here.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
