Media access to Gaza

Leading a call from Jewish journalists and editors

Charles Keidan on a UN visit to a tunnel under Gaza 31 July 2009

The ban on international media access to Gaza has continued since the current conflict began on 7 October 2023.

Refusal of access is a denial of the voices of all in Gaza as well as the ability to hold powerful interests to account. We owe it to the victims of this conflict – and all future conflicts – that journalists can report on what’s happening and tell the story to the fullest extent possible. That is not possible without being on the ground.

I led an effort with ITV’s Robert Peston to bring Jewish journalists and editors to call for access to Gaza. Our letter was signed by News Agents Hosts, Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel, Sunday Times’s Gabriel Pogrund, The Sun political correspondent Noa Hoffman, LBC presenter Ben Kentish, Daily Mail City editor Alex Brummer and Prospect magazine senior editor Alona Ferber among others. It was covered by multiple news outlets worldwide.

While Israel continues to deny access to this day, citing security considerations, the letter was nevertheless an important statement that the ban is an unacceptable restriction on our professional responsibility to inform readers, viewers and listeners accurately and impartially.

This effort was the latest in a series of interventions on Israel/Palestine dating back to my days as director of the Pears Foundation including a visit to Gaza in 2009. My personal reflections on philanthropy on the aftermath of October 7th can be found here.