17 US senators call for international press access to Gaza

Seventeen members of the US Senate, including 16 Democrats and independent senator Bernie Sanders, have sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging him to press Israel to protect international journalists and allow them entry into Gaza, as the war there continues into its 22nd month.

In their statement, the lawmakers said, “The United States must make it clear to Israel that banning and censoring media organisations and targeting or threatening members of the press is unacceptable and must stop.”

They addressed Secretary of State Marco Rubio, saying: “We urge you to press the Israeli government to protect journalists in Gaza and allow international media to access the territory.”

The senators’ stance comes days after President Donald Trump stated that allowing journalists into Gaza would be “a very good thing,” while acknowledging that it poses a significant risk to their lives.

The letter referred to Israel’s recent air strike that killed six journalists, including Anas Al-Sharif and three of his colleagues from Al Jazeera, in an attack that triggered widespread international outrage.

The senators noted that Israel has provided no evidence linking Al-Sharif to Hamas, adding that the targeting of journalists “appears to be an open admission of killing them to stop them from revealing the scale of suffering in Gaza”, which they said may amount to a violation of international law.

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