Journalists must be allowed unrestricted access to Gaza

Sir, – Each passing day brings news of a fresh Israeli atrocity in Gaza with so-called “shelters” and “safe zones” offering no sanctuary from relentless bombardment. The UN recently reported that two-thirds of its schools, now doubling as overcrowded refugee centres for internally displaced civilians, have been bombed. These indiscriminate attacks are in danger of becoming normalized, particularly as international media organisations are denied access to Gaza and unable to investigate events on the ground (“The Irish Times view on journalistic access to Gaza: Israel must let in the light”, July 14th). This has placed an intolerable burden on the courageous Palestinian journalists who have risked their lives reporting from Gaza, 103 of whom have been killed. The Committee to Protect Journalists is investigating the deliberate targeting of journalists and their families in Gaza, which has become the most deadly conflict on record for journalists. Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, wrote on X that: “Whatever path of life we come from: renouncing an inch of our privilege to expose injustice is what makes us human”. Journalists must be allowed unrestricted access to Gaza without fear of arrest, censorship or targeting by the Israeli military. They play a vital role in reporting violations and abuses of international humanitarian law and human rights. Let them do their work. – Yours, etc,

STEPHEN McCLOSKEY,

Director,

Centre for Global Education,