House Democrats push Blinken to protect press freedom in Gaza
More than two dozen House Democrats are pressuring the Biden administration to take concrete steps to protect the safety of journalists — and the freedom of the press — in the Gaza Strip, where foreign reporters are essentially barred and civilian deaths have soared during Israel’s war on Hamas.
In a letter sent Tuesday to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the lawmakers expressed concerns that Israel’s strict limitations on press freedom in Gaza — combined with the physical dangers inherent in covering the conflict — have left the world with a narrow view of what’s actually happening in the region.
“With more journalists killed in three months than have ever been killed in a single country over an entire year, we remain concerned that not enough steps have been taken to safeguard the lives of the civilian population in Gaza, including journalists,” the lawmakers wrote.
“We are grateful for your continuous work to address the unbearable conditions and high number of civilian casualties including by ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians,” they continued, “but more must be done to address the unique challenges journalists in Gaza face.”
The letter is spearheaded by Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), and endorsed by 23 other House Democrats, including Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the senior Democrat on the Oversight and Accountability Committee; Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), the ranking member of the Rules Committee; and André Carson (D-Ind.), one of just three Muslims in Congress.
In their letter, the Democrats noted at least 88 members of the media have been killed in the war — including two Israelis, three Lebanese and 83 Palestinian journalists — representing a vast majority of all reporter deaths across the globe over the last year, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4493784-democrats-press-blinken-to-protect-press-freedom-in-gaza/
In a letter sent Tuesday to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the lawmakers expressed concerns that Israel’s strict limitations on press freedom in Gaza — combined with the physical dangers inherent in covering the conflict — have left the world with a narrow view of what’s actually happening in the region.
“With more journalists killed in three months than have ever been killed in a single country over an entire year, we remain concerned that not enough steps have been taken to safeguard the lives of the civilian population in Gaza, including journalists,” the lawmakers wrote.
“We are grateful for your continuous work to address the unbearable conditions and high number of civilian casualties including by ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians,” they continued, “but more must be done to address the unique challenges journalists in Gaza face.”
The letter is spearheaded by Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), and endorsed by 23 other House Democrats, including Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the senior Democrat on the Oversight and Accountability Committee; Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), the ranking member of the Rules Committee; and André Carson (D-Ind.), one of just three Muslims in Congress.
In their letter, the Democrats noted at least 88 members of the media have been killed in the war — including two Israelis, three Lebanese and 83 Palestinian journalists — representing a vast majority of all reporter deaths across the globe over the last year, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4493784-democrats-press-blinken-to-protect-press-freedom-in-gaza/
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