Sixty organisations write to the Commission to denounce Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip

Sixty international organisations have written to European Commission Vice-President Josep Borrell and Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis calling on them to take action against the unprecedented killings of journalists and other violations of press freedom by the Israeli authorities, which contradict Israel's commitments.

The organizations, which represent journalists, press freedom, freedom of expression and human rights issues, said the violations were part of widespread and systematic abuses of power by Israeli authorities in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel and elsewhere, which have been documented or acknowledged by Israeli, Palestinian and international NGOs, UN experts, the International Court of Justice and in an arrest warrant application by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

The NGOs demanded that these violations should lead to the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and to further targeted EU sanctions against those responsible.

“Regrettably, the governments of the 27 EU states have still not unanimously recognised, attributed and condemned the crimes committed by the Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip.”

The NGOs added: “Since October 7, 2023, when fighters led by Hamas' armed wing carried out numerous and coordinated attacks on civilians and hostage-taking in Israel, the Netanyahu government has taken an unprecedented series of steps to restrict press freedom, effectively establishing a censorship regime.”

NGOs, including a number of European press freedom organisations such as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), have recorded the killing of more than 100 Palestinian journalists and media workers in Gaza, as well as two Israeli and three Lebanese journalists, since October 7.

“This makes it the deadliest time for journalists in the decades these organizations have been collecting data.”

The organizations pointed out that “the decimation and displacement of the press in Gaza has resulted in fewer local journalists left to cover the hostilities in Gaza.”

The current death toll is 41,047 Palestinians and 1,139 people killed in Israel since October 7.

In addition to the unprecedented killing of journalists, they also raised issues such as the ban on independent media access to Gaza, record arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, censorship, allegations of torture and ill-treatment, and the failure to investigate or bring perpetrators to justice.

“Journalists play an indispensable role in documenting and reporting on war crimes and other human rights violations. The cumulative effect of these abuses is to create the conditions for an information vacuum and for propaganda and misinformation and disinformation.

While Israel claims that its measures are aimed at ensuring the security of its people, history shows that censorship and denial of the right to information are not an appropriate path to peace and security,” the organizations said.

They called for the suspension of the Association Agreement between Israel and the EU on the grounds that it violates international human rights and criminal law, as well as the imposition of targeted sanctions against those responsible.

The organizations recommended that Israel uphold freedom of reporting, protect the lives of journalists, ensure accountability and end impunity.