CPJ welcomes call by EU’s Borrell on protecting journalists in Israel-Gaza war; urges further action by EU states

Brussels, April 23, 2024— The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes Tuesday’s remarks by the European Union’s Josep Borrell about the need to protect journalists in the Israel-Gaza war and calls on all EU member states also to make or renew calls that both sides should respect international law during the conflict, take all measures to protect journalists, and provide international journalists with independent access to Gaza.

Borrell, the high representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, told the European Parliament that the European External Action Service was “appalled” by the “unprecedented” number of journalists and media workers killed in the six months of war. “Journalists are civilians and their voices are crucial to keeping disinformation at bay and citizens being informed,” Borrell said during a debate on the EU’s response to the Israeli Defense Forces’ killing of humanitarian aid workers, journalists, and other civilians in Gaza.

Borrell also expressed concern about newly adopted legislation allowing Israeli authorities to prevent foreign media networks from operating in Israel. “This, coupled with the lack of access to foreign media to Gaza, raises further concerns about what we know about what is going [on] there,” he said.

Read the full text of the debate here and a January letter to Borrell from CPJ and other partner groups here.