More than 250 media outlets protest over Israel murdering Gaza journalists
More than 250 media outlets in over 70 countries have staged a front page protest highlighting the killing of more than 200 journalists in Israel’s war on Gaza, the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) media freedom group says.
“At the rate journalists are being killed in Gaza by the Israeli army, there will soon be no-one left to keep you informed,” the group’s general director, Thibaut Bruttin, said in a statement on Monday.
The protest, also supported by the global campaign movement Avaaz, was featured on the websites of news outlets including Al Jazeera, the British newspaper The Independent, French newspapers La Croix and L’Humanite, and the German newspapers Tageszeitung and Frankfurter Rundschau, according to RSF.
About 220 journalists have been killed during Israel’s war in Gaza since it began on October 7, 2023, according to RSF data. Independent analysis by Al Jazeera reveals that at least 278 journalists and media workers have been killed by Israel over the past 22 months, including 10 from the network.
Those participating in the protest “demand an end to impunity for Israeli crimes against Gaza’s reporters, the emergency evacuation of reporters seeking to leave the Strip and that foreign press be granted independent access”, the RSF statement said.
The media group said it has filed four complaints at the International Criminal Court for war crimes it said the Israeli army has committed against journalists in Gaza.
Sumud Flotilla for Gaza departs Barcelona again after delay due to storm
The Global Sumud Flotilla carrying aid to the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip departed Barcelona again on Monday evening, several hours after poor weather forced it to return to the Spanish port, according to a journalist travelling on one of the boats.
Earlier on Monday, the flotilla – which had set off from Barcelona on Sunday – said in a statement on X that strong winds of more than 30 knots (55.6 kilometres per hour, or 34.5 miles per hour) on the Mediterranean Sea could have posed a problem for smaller boats in the convoy.
The flotilla said that it conducted a sea trial and made the decision to return to port in Barcelona to allow the storm to pass.
Mauricio Morales, a journalist reporting for Al Jazeera from on board the Alma boat, said that the flotilla began moving out from the port again at about 7:30pm local time (17:30 GMT) on Monday following a general meeting of all volunteers.
The flotilla comprises dozens of small civilian vessels carrying volunteers and humanitarian supplies. It planned to meet up with a second wave of vessels in Tunisia on Thursday, but that plan has now been slightly delayed.
This is the third aid flotilla of its kind in recent months to attempt to break the Israeli siege on Gaza. Previous attempts have been unsuccessful, with Israeli naval forces illegally intercepting the boats in international waters.
Organisers said the Global Sumud Flotilla is the largest maritime mission to Gaza, bringing together more than 50 ships and delegations from at least 44 countries.
