ISTANBUL

Anadolu called on the international community on Wednesday to take urgent action as journalists in Gaza, including 113 of its own staff, continue to face life-threatening conditions amid a deepening humanitarian crisis in the enclave.

In a statement, Anadolu said Israel's genocidal war on Gaza has evolved into a “deliberate and systematic genocide,” with tens of thousands of civilians, including children, killed.

“Gaza’s population has been subjected to inhumane treatment,” the Turkish news agency said. “Today, the entry of food and medicine into Gaza is being blocked, aid convoys are being targeted, access to basic food supplies is being restricted, and the people of Gaza are being deliberately and intentionally condemned to starvation.”

It expressed particular concern for journalists working in Gaza, who continue to report under extreme conditions while also struggling to survive.

“Journalists trapped in the deprivation zone the Israeli administration is attempting to construct are carrying out their duties while struggling to survive.

“Alongside our 113 colleagues working in Gaza, the people of Gaza are struggling to survive in an environment where their fundamental right to life is directly targeted by Israel. We are deeply concerned that conditions such as hunger and the shortage of food and water are directly affecting our colleagues on the ground,” the agency said.

Anadolu called on the international community, human rights organizations, journalist associations, and “all people of conscience” to raise their voices in unison against “this darkness.”

Since March 2, Israel has stalled on implementing a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal with the Palestinian group Hamas and has kept Gaza’s border crossings shut, leaving humanitarian aid trucks stranded along the frontier.

Israel has killed more than 59,100 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in the Gaza Strip since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, collapsed the health system, and led to severe food shortages.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants 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.​​​​​​​