15/04/2024
Urgent appeal from Gaza’s journalists and media crews, Save and support those who remain of us
Since the onset of the genocidal war on Gaza, journalists and media crews working in the field have faced unimaginable challenges and hardships covering the daily realities of the war. Since the start of this devastating war, we have been deliberately and systematically targeted by the Israeli forces. The toll has been immense. We mourn the loss of over 140 courageous colleagues who have lost their lives in pursuit of the truth, with many more sustaining injuries, while tens of journalists remain unaccounted for, languishing in Israeli detention centers where their fate remains uncertain. Those who survived were displaced and lost family members; their homes, offices, cars, reporting equipment, and archives were destroyed in the bombardments.
Our situation reflects the struggles of our whole community, as this conflict has obliterated our lives and means of making a living.
The challenges we face are manifold. Israel’s deliberate destruction of land communication infrastructure, which was already old and run-down due to two decades of blockade, left parts of Gaza isolated from the world and from different parts of Gaza itself. Israel also systematically disabled mobile networks across the Gaza Strip by demolishing coverage towers and their power sources. It's worth noting that mobile phone networks in Gaza are limited to second-generation (2G) technology due to restrictions by the Israeli occupation, preventing companies from offering third-generation (3G) services. To address these obstacles, journalists turned to eSIMs, which required being in elevated, dangerous areas for long periods, as sending 1 GB took almost three hours.
The scale of the current devastation in Gaza is beyond description. Our ability to continue the coverage and show what’s happening on the ground is rapidly diminishing, particularly in the northern region, due to the destruction of reporting equipment. This situation deteriorated even further following a series of deliberate targeting of one of the last working SNGs, which was stationed by al Shifa Hospital and provided live audio and video to numerous satellite channels.
We are, therefore, making this an urgent appeal to our colleagues, fellow journalists, and media professionals across the globe to swiftly come to our rescue from this Israeli aggression. We urge them to take immediate action through their respective institutions, press unions, and press freedom organizations. We need protection to continue our coverage.
Moreover, we urge the international community to provide us with the essential equipment needed to continue reporting and to take all measures necessary to ensure its arrival in Gaza, especially the northern regions.
As an urgent first step, we desperately need equipment for satellite Internet connectivity. It's also imperative to exert pressure on Israel to permit the entry of international media crews.
For decades, Gaza has been a battleground and a classroom where many of the world's finest journalists honed their craft. In this bleak moment, we are hoping for the support and solidarity of our colleagues.
Our plea is clear: Act swiftly to protect us and stop the assault, provide us with the resources and equipment needed to continue our work - especially satellite Internet equipment - and apply pressure on Israel to allow international journalists and media crews into Gaza.
The time to act is now; our lives are at stake.
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