Media Outlets Sound Alarm Over Gaza Journalists Starving Amid Blockade

Joint Appeal Over ‘Unthinkable’ Conditions

Four global news organizations—including BBC News, AFP, AP, and Reuters—issued a joint plea on July 24, 2025, highlighting the desperate plight of local journalists in Gaza. The statement condemned the "unthinkable" intersection of professional duty and survival, noting these reporters are now "struggling to secure basic sustenance" alongside civilians they document.

Humanitarian Groups Double Down on Warnings

Aid organizations including Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Save the Children, and Oxfam separately declared that Gaza’s population is "literally wasting away," with malnutrition-related deaths rising to 45 since March 2025, per Hamas health authorities. The World Health Organization’s director, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, bluntly labeled the crisis "man-made mass starvation," directly linking it to Israel’s control over aid entry.

Key Developments

- Journalists are the world’s lifeline to Gaza—but that lifeline is fraying, stated the media coalition, urging Israel to permit unrestricted journalist access.
- Israel’s military cited "security risks" and Hamas ties among aid groups to justify blocking deliveries in March, though a partial reopening occurred in May.
- Controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid corridors—established with U.S. and Israeli backing—have seen over 300 deaths near distribution sites since March, raising accusations of deliberate obstruction.

Blockade’s Human Toll

The WHO reports 25% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents face famine conditions, with acute malnutrition rates doubling since late 2024. Local journalists, often working without salaries or resources, are now rationing food to continue reporting, according to union representatives.

International Pressure Mounts

The UK and 27 EU nations recently condemned Israel’s "inhumane" actions in Gaza. Meanwhile, the UN’s Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, lamented: "We’re not preventing famine—we’re documenting it." Griffiths criticized the GHF system as "structurally flawed," with aid distribution rates plummeting 60% in June compared to May.

The media coalition’s full statement emphasized:

"Without urgent intervention, Gaza’s journalists—our critical witnesses to history—will be forced to abandon their role as humanity’s safeguard [...] This isn’t just a media crisis; it’s an assault on truth itself."

**Source**: BBC News Analysis (Original report: [BBC News](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8j1j7n72ywo))