ROME

Press unions and organizations on Wednesday called on the Italian government and the EU to pressure Israel to allow international journalists to enter the Gaza Strip.

Representatives from the National Federation of Italian Press (FNSI), the National Council of the Order of Journalists (ODG), and the Justice and Peace in the Middle East group spoke at a joint press conference at the Foreign Press Association in Rome, calling for immediate pressure on the Israeli government.

They urged the Italian government and the European Commission to lift the blockade that prevents international journalists from entering Gaza and to end press restrictions in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Gianni Giovannetti, from the Justice and Peace in the Middle East group, recalled that nearly 300 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the beginning of Israeli attacks on Oct. 7, 2023.

"We believe that killing journalists means killing the truth," he noted.

Giovannetti explained that the appeal for journalists to enter Gaza is essentially a demand for the right to information.

For her part, FNSI Secretary-General Alessandra Costante said they need an independent eye to verify everything their colleagues who died in Gaza have reported.

In a video message, Palestinian journalist Al Hassan Selmi from Gaza said that since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, Israel has increasingly targeted journalists covering events in Gaza.

"The strategy has changed with the ceasefire. They now target journalists gathered in one place. More journalists have been killed since the ceasefire began," he said.

Speaking to Anadolu following the press conference, Giovannetti noted that international media presence in Gaza is now "more essential than ever."

"It’s crucial to verify whether the ceasefire is truly being implemented and to document what steps are being taken toward a genuine, demilitarized peace," he added.

He stressed that their call aims to draw public attention back to this urgent and tragic issue.

According to the Gaza Government Media Office, Israel has committed 282 ceasefire violations, including 12 incursions into residential neighborhoods, 124 strikes, and 52 bombing operations targeting civilian buildings, resulting in the death of 242 Palestinians and over 620 others.

The Gaza ceasefire agreement took effect on Oct. 10, based on a 20-point plan by US President Donald Trump.

Phase one of the ceasefire deal includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The plan also envisages the rebuilding of Gaza and the establishment of a new governing mechanism without Hamas.

The Israeli army has killed more than 69,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured over 170,000 others, and left the Gaza Strip uninhabitable since October 2023, according to the Health Ministry.