French FM Calls for Foreign Press Access to Gaza

By Al Mayadeen English

Jean-Noël Barrot calls on "Israel" to allow international media access to Gaza as famine alerts and threats to Palestinian journalists escalate.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot urged "Israel" on Tuesday to permit international journalists access to the blockaded Palestinian enclave of Gaza, where dire famine alerts have been issued following 21 months of ongoing war.

"I ask that the free and independent press be allowed to access Gaza to show what is happening there and to bear witness," he said in an interview for France Inter Radio from eastern Ukraine.

He spoke following an urgent appeal from AFP, which warned that Palestinian freelancers working with them in Gaza were in grave danger and demanded "Israel" allow the journalists and their families to exit the occupied territory.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot called for an immediate "cessation of hostilities" following "Israel's" expansion of military operations into Deir el-Balah, arguing there was no remaining rationale for continued military actions in Gaza that would only worsen the already disastrous humanitarian crisis and lead to further mass displacements, which France vehemently condemns.

When asked whether France would assist in evacuating the journalists, Barrot stated that France was "addressing the issue," adding, "We hope to be able to evacuate some collaborators of journalists in the coming weeks," without concluding the thought until the very end.

Society of Journalists warns of starvation in Gaza

On Monday, the Société des Journalistes (Society of Journalists), a group representing AFP staff, issued an urgent warning and called for "immediate intervention" to assist the agency's reporters working in Gaza.

The SDJ highlighted the case of a 30-year-old freelancer based in Gaza City with his family, who reported on Sunday that his older brother "fell because of hunger," illustrating the dire situation faced by journalists in the territory.

AFP addressed the situation in a social media statement, explaining that "Israel" has barred all foreign journalists from entering Gaza since October 7, making their Palestinian freelancers' work vital for global awareness, but with their lives now at grave risk, the agency is demanding "Israel" permit their immediate evacuation along with family members.

Between January and April 2024, AFP successfully relocated its eight staff members along with their families from Gaza.