Budapest - Saba:
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) confirmed that the Israeli occupation army carried out an unprecedented massacre in Gaza in the history of the journalism profession, in flagrant violation of international law obligations—particularly the obligation to ensure the protection of civilians—after killing nearly 200 journalists and media workers during the war on the Gaza Strip.
During its general meeting held last Monday and Tuesday in Budapest, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) condemned, with the joint signatures of all 120 member unions in 47 European countries, "the deadly attacks against civilians, including journalists, over the past year and a half in the Gaza Strip."
In a statement, the EFJ said, "For all human rights defenders, one thing is clear: the Israeli military is seeking to impose a media blackout on Gaza, to silence witnesses to the war crimes committed by its forces as much as possible, at a time when a growing number of international NGOs and UN bodies are describing them as acts of genocide."
The statement added: "As journalists, we consider the right to life a fundamental human right that everyone should enjoy. Based on our unwavering commitment to press freedom, it is our duty to condemn this policy, express our solidarity with our Palestinian colleagues, and repeatedly demand our right to enter Gaza.
"We do not demand this because we feel that coverage of Gaza is unreliable and incomplete in the absence of Western journalists. Rather, we demand it to support and protect our Palestinian colleagues, through our presence, who are showing incredible courage by sending images and testimonies of the massive tragedy currently taking place in Gaza."
During the European Federation of Journalists' general assembly, representatives of journalists' unions and associations from across Europe expressed their full support for the efforts of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), which has supported the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate since the beginning of the war, particularly through its International Safety Fund.
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) also called on media professionals and journalists to demonstrate their solidarity with their Palestinian colleagues in all European newsrooms, as well as to organize protests similar to the symbolic protest held in Paris on April 16, where hundreds of journalists gathered in solidarity with their colleagues in Palestine.
The EFJ called on all journalists to demand clear answers from political leaders about what they will do to stop the killing in Gaza and prevent further suffering, stating, "Journalists must not accept empty rhetoric or evasion," emphasizing that "the struggle of Palestinian journalists is our struggle: freedom of information, freedom of the press, in Gaza as everywhere!"
The plenary meeting called on the EFJ Steering Committee to intervene to protect Palestinian journalists and ensure freedom of information in the Middle East, along with all EU institutions. EFJ called for a ceasefire to end the massacre targeting civilians, including journalists, and to end impunity for perpetrators of these crimes. The EFJ also called for the immediate opening of the Gaza Strip to international media.
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