‘The free flow of information and independent reporting are key to facts and accountability during conflicts,' Philippe Lazzarini says
Israel's ban on international media in the war-torn Gaza Strip fuels disinformation and the spread of dehumanization, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Thursday.
"Since the war began 1.5 years ago, the Israeli Authorities have banned the entry of international media to Gaza to report independently,” UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement.
“This is fueling propaganda, disinformation, and the spread of dehumanization.”
In addition to the ban, credible accounts and eyewitness testimonies from relief organizations on the situation in Gaza are being discredited and questioned, Lazzarini lamented.
"The free flow of information and independent reporting are key to facts and accountability during conflicts. Gaza should be no exception," the UNRWA chief said.
According to local Palestinian authorities, at least 210 journalists have been killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip since October 2023.
The Israeli army renewed its assault on Gaza on March 18, shattering a Jan. 19 ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.
More than 51,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023, most of them women and children.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
