Gaza: Gaza's Government Media Office accused Israel on Tuesday of deliberately preventing international journalists from entering the besieged enclave to conceal the ongoing genocide and starvation in the territory.
According to Anadolu Agency, the office claimed that Israeli occupation authorities are promoting false narratives denying the existence of famine in Gaza, while simultaneously banning international press to prevent the exposure of these realities. The office challenged Israel to open the crossings and allow foreign correspondents access to the blockaded territory.
The statement from the media office came shortly after US President Donald Trump publicly acknowledged the famine in Gaza during a press briefing. Trump cited images of starving children, directly contradicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's repeated denials of a crisis.
The media office condemned Israel's refusal to permit international coverage, labeling it as a 'full-fledged crime' aimed at erasing evidence of the systematic genocide and starvation affecting the Gaza population. The statement called on the international community to take decisive action to reveal the facts and break the media blockade imposed on Gaza.
Israel's 18-year blockade on Gaza has intensified since March 2 with the closure of all crossings, exacerbating the dire conditions for the territory's 2.4 million residents by blocking humanitarian aid.
According to Gaza's Health Ministry, at least 147 people have died of starvation since October 2023, including 88 children. The Israeli military, ignoring international calls for a ceasefire, has killed over 60,000 Palestinians, the majority being women and children, since October 2023. The ongoing bombardment has devastated the enclave and resulted in a severe hunger crisis.
On Monday, Israeli rights groups B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, highlighting the systematic destruction of Palestinian society and the deliberate dismantling of the territory's healthcare system.