Gaza news blockade : Petition by Reporters Without Borders and 160 news media about handed in at Israeli embassy

Reporters Without Borders went to the Israeli embassy in Paris today and, in a symbolic gesture, handed a copy of the call signed by 160 international news media to restore media access to the Gaza Strip. The gesture was intended to reinforce the pressure on the Israeli government to lift the news blockade around the Gaza Strip, the target of an unprecedented military offensive since 27 December. The news blockade violates international humanitarian law and Israeli supreme court decisions. This situation is all the more absurd as a large number of foreign journalists have, since last weekend, been allowed to enter the Gaza Strip across the Egyptian border at Rafah. Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Jean-François Julliard also announced that Reporters Without Borders will visit the Gaza Strip as soon as it is reopened to the press in order to investigate the conditions in which journalists are working and to assess the impact of the news blockade on coverage of Operation “Cast Lead.” The text of the petition to the Israeli authorities, launched by Reporters Without Borders on 9 January, and the first 156 signatures: Allow the news media into the Gaza Strip! Appeal by the world's media and Reporters Without Borders to the Israeli authorities We, the news media of the entire world, join the international press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders in urging the Israeli authorities to allow our reporters back into the Gaza Strip. In view of the scale of the military operations and the repercussion they are having throughout the world, we believe the Israeli government's decision to exclude the press from the Gaza Strip is untenable and dangerous. It is incomprehensible that Israel is preventing the press from providing independent coverage of events that concern us all. There is only one solution to this situation: while taking the necessary security measures, the Israeli authorities must grant immediate access to the Gaza Strip to the media personnel who have been sent to cover this conflict. You, international medias want to sign the appeal, please contact us at: [email protected] The following medias have already signed the appeal: Afghanistan (Killid Group), Algeria (Echorouk, El Khabar, El Watan), Argentina (Desde Neuquén), Austria (Austrian Journalists Club from Vienna, ZDF), Azerbaijan (Turan News Agency), Bangladesh (Media Watch), Belgium (De Morgen, De Standaard, La Libre Belgique, Le Soir, RTBF TV et radio, VRT), Brazil (Associação Brasileira de Journalismo Investigativo (Abraji)), Canada (CBC, In These Times, Le Devoir, The National Free Press, Now Magazine, Public News Service, Rabbles.ca, Sources.com, Wire Tap Magazine), France (ARTE, LCI (rédaction), L'Express, Le Figaro, Le Nouvel Observateur, L'Humanité, Mediapart.fr, RFI, RMC, RTL, Rue 89.com), Georgia (Media.ge), Germany (AFPA Press, ARD, Breakingnews4all.de, Der Spiegel, Die lokale Onlinezeitung zum Mitmachen, Die Tageszeitung, Die Welt, Entwicklungspolitik Online, The Financial Times Deutschland, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Frankfurter Rundschau, Frei Medien, GEO, Menschen Machen Medien, N24, N-tv, Nachrichtenmagazin Focus, Panoriental TV, Stern, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Teuto Radio, Under.Attack Information, ZDF), Greece (Elefterotipia, Ethnos, Kathimerini, Le Petit journal, Nea, Vima), Guatemala (Guatemala Times), Guinea Bissau (ANG, Bombolom FM, Diário de Bissau, Gazeta de Notícias, Kansaré, NÔ Pintcha, Rádio Galáxia de Pindjiguiti, Rádio Jovem, Rádio Nossa, Rádio Sol Mansi, RDN, TGB, Última Hora), Hong Kong (Hong Kong Journalists Association), Italy (Carta, Il Manifesto, Liberazione, Radio 24, Radio Radicale, La Repubblica, Secolo XIX, L'Unita), Mauritania (Le Calame), Mexico (Dia Siete, El Diario de ciudad Juárez, El Manana de Nuevo Laredo, El Universal, Zócalo), Morocco (Atlantic Radio, Tel quel - Nichane), Netherlands (Firat News Agency), Nigeria (Economic News Media Group), Norway (Bergens Tidende, Scanpix Norway, Stavanger Aftenblad), Peru (Asociación de Periodistas de Lima Norte, El Comercio), The Philippines (Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility), Qatar (Al Jazeera), Romania (Adevarul Newspaper, Cotidianul Daily, Jurnalul National, Realitatea TV), Spain (ABC, Cadena SER, Cubamatinal.com, COM Ràdio, CNN+, Cuatro, Diariocritico.com, El, Mundo, El País, El Periódico de Catalunya, Independant docs TV, Inter Press Service - Comunica, La Aventura Humana, La Sexta, Nuevatribuna.es, Periodistas-ES.org, RNE (information services), TVE (information services), Vida Positiva TV & Raio), Sweden (Fria Tidningar, Nerikes Allehanda, Stockholm City, Sundsvalls Tidning, Svenska Dagbladet, Sweden, Aftonbladet, Världshorisont, Vestmanlands Läns Tidning), Switzerland (Le Courrier, Le Quotidien Jurassien, Le Temps), Tunisia (Kalima Radio), Turkey (Demokrat Radyo), United Arab Emirates (Al Arabyia), United Kingdom (Article 19, BBC Arabic, Libre News Agency, Sky News, The Guardian, Welsh Nation (Wales), Y Ddraig Goch (Wales), Y Papur Gwyrdd (Wales)), United States of America (ABC Newsk, Cartoonists Rights Network International, CBS News, CNN, Minnesota Independent, New York Times, NPR, PeriodismoCiudadano.com), Uzbekistan (Ferghana.ru, Uzmetronom.com, Uznews.net).