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AFP, AP, Reuters, BBC urge Israel ‘to allow journalists in and out of Gaza’
International news agencies Agence France-Presse (AFP), The Associated Press (AP) and Reuters, as well as the BBC, have called on Israel to allow journalists in and out of Gaza, which is subject to a strict blockade.
“We are desperately concerned for our journalists in Gaza, who are increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families,” the media groups said in a joint statement.
“We once again urge the Israeli authorities to allow journalists in and out of Gaza,” they added.
EU has leverage on Israel but some member states blocking action
James Moran, former EU ambassador to Egypt and Jordan, has told Al Jazeera that there are a number of European Union countries that would like to see “a lot more action taken” to end Israel’s war on Gaza.
“But there are some on the other side who tend to take the side of Israel,” he said from Cambridge, UK.
“Recently, there has been a lot of debates going on among the European Union foreign ministers about suspending the EU-Israel association agreement, which covers about a third of Israel’s foreign trade and certainly provides leverage on Israel to change its course,” Moran said.
“But up till now, it has been blocked by a number of member states, including Germany and others, for reasons which are complicated but nevertheless it is there.”
Dozens of EU lawmakers demand sanctions, arms embargo on Israel
More than 60 members of the European Parliament (MEPs) demand an emergency meeting to push actions against Israel in a letter sent to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
Marc Botenga, a Belgian MEP from the Left group, said on X: “No more silence, no more complicity.”
“We are writing to you today to demand immediate action is taken given the appalling humanitarian situation in Gaza and the continued Israeli attacks on Palestinians at aid distribution sites which have so far resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 people,” the MEPs wrote.
They said the recent EU-Israel aid agreement delivered “no tangible change” in conditions on the ground. Earlier in July, Kallas said Israel had agreed to expand humanitarian access to Gaza, including increasing the number of aid trucks, crossing points and routes to distribution hubs.
The MEPs demanded that sanctions be imposed against Israel, the GHF and individuals within the organisation. They also demanded that the top EU diplomat lobby member states to implement an arms embargo on Israel.
That's 60 out of a total 720, 8%....
