Ankara: Anadolu called on the international community on Wednesday to take urgent action as journalists in Gaza, including 113 of its own staff, continue to face life-threatening conditions amid a deepening humanitarian crisis in the enclave.
According to Anadolu Agency, Israel's ongoing military actions in Gaza have escalated into what the agency describes as a 'deliberate and systematic genocide,' resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians, including children. The Turkish news agency emphasized that Gaza's population is being subjected to severe hardships, with the entry of food and medicine being blocked, aid convoys targeted, and access to basic food supplies restricted, effectively condemning the population to starvation.
The agency expressed particular concern for journalists operating under these extreme conditions, highlighting the challenges they face in fulfilling their duties while also struggling for survival. Anadolu underscored the dire circumstances in which these journalists operate, noting that alongside their 113 colleagues working in Gaza, the entire population is battling against conditions where their fundamental right to life is directly threatened.
Anadolu has urged the international community, human rights organizations, journalist associations, and 'all people of conscience' to unite and speak out against what it terms 'this darkness.' The agency pointed out that since March 2, Israel has stalled on implementing a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal with Hamas, maintaining a blockade on Gaza's border crossings and leaving humanitarian aid stranded.
The military campaign, according to Anadolu, has resulted in the deaths of over 59,100 Palestinians, primarily women and children, and has led to the collapse of the health system and severe food shortages in the Gaza Strip. The agency also recalled that last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.