News summary
- Israeli forces said they could not guarantee the safety of journalists in Gaza.
- The army’s position came after news outlets sought assurances.
- The Gaza Strip has been bombarded by Israel continuously since October 7th.
Journalists document soldiers on the border with Gaza Violeta Santos Moura/Portal October 24, 2023
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told international news organizations Portal and AFP (Agence FrancePresse) that it cannot guarantee the safety of its journalists working there Gaza StripArea bombed and besieged by Israel for almost three weeks.
Gaza is a Palestinian enclave run by Hamas and has been bombarded continuously since October 7, when gunmen from the militant group crossed the border and killed around 1,400 people in Israel. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, around 7,000 people have been killed in Israeli strikes.
The Israel Defense Forces wrote to Portal and AFP this week after the agencies sought assurances that their journalists in Gaza would not be targeted by Israeli attacks.
“The IDF targets all Hamas military activities in Gaza,” the Israel Defense Forces letter said, adding that Hamas had deliberately placed its military operations “in close proximity to journalists and civilians.”
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The IDF also noted that its highintensity attacks on Hamas targets could cause damage to surrounding buildings and that Hamas rockets could also malfunction and kill people in the Gaza Strip.
“Under these circumstances, we cannot guarantee the safety of your personnel and urge you to take all necessary measures for their safety,” the Israel Defense Forces letter concluded.
Hamas did not immediately comment when asked about the IDF’s claim that it had deployed military operations near known journalist bases in Gaza.
Portal was unable to verify how many other news organizations operating in Gaza had received the same letter from the IDF.
Copyright © Thomson Portal.