Flemish Journalists' Association urges Israel to grant foreign press immediate access to Gaza
The Flemish Journalists' Association VVJ has called on Israel to immediately allow foreign journalists access to the Gaza Strip. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the association described the current ban on international media as "unacceptable".
The VVJ's appeal joins the growing international outcry and echoes a demand made earlier this week by French Foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot. On Tuesday, Barrot insisted that foreign reporters must be allowed to enter Gaza "to show what is happening there and to bear witness".
This follows reports from Agence France-Presse (AFP) that its Palestinian freelance journalists in Gaza have been forced to stop working due to severe hunger and exhaustion. The agency is urging Israel to allow their evacuation from the besieged enclave, as war, famine and a crippling blockade continue to worsen conditions. With foreign media barred, only Palestinian journalists remain to bear witness on the ground.
"The humanitarian crisis is reaching unprecedented levels, famine is worsening, and press freedom is under severe pressure," the VVJ warned. The organisation also expressed concern over the potential collapse of independent journalism "in a region where human rights and humanitarian standards are being gravely violated".
Refusal to grant access
Similar appeals were issued in June by several international bodies, including Reporters Without Borders, and a number of major global news organisations. They condemned Israel’s ongoing refusal to grant access to international journalists at the time and highlighted the alarming number of Palestinian reporters killed in the conflict.
According to the International Federation of Journalists, at least 171 Palestinian journalists and media workers have died in Gaza since the war began on 7 October 2023.
#FlandersNewsService | A protester holds a sign reading "a hungry journalist writes about the hungry" during a journalists' protest in Gaza City’s Rimal district, 19 July 2025 © PHOTO OMAR AL-QATTAA / AFP
Related news
