Media ban fuels disinformation campaigns questioning firsthand data and accounts from eyewitnesses and international humanitarian organizations, says UNRWA chief Lazzarini
ISTANBUL — The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees on Friday called for an immediate end to Israel’s ban on international media access to Gaza, warning that the information blackout is fueling disinformation and undermining trust in eyewitness and humanitarian accounts.
Philippe Lazzarini said on X that the media ban has persisted for over 650 days amid what he described as “atrocities against civilians.”
“The ban on the entry of international media must be lifted,” Lazzarini said.
He pointed out that more than 200 Palestinian journalists have been killed during the ongoing conflict.
“Media ban fuels dis-information campaigns questioning firsthand data & accounts from eyewitnesses + international humanitarian organisations,” he added.
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, Israel has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since late October 2023, killing nearly 59,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and the spread of diseases.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave. — AA
