Press release of 27, August 2025
PEN Berlin calls for greater protection for journalists in Gaza
On Monday, twenty people, including five journalists working for international media outlets such as Reuters, the Associated Press, and Al Jazeera, were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.
Journalists are protected under international law while carrying out their work. They are not a party to the conflict. Their job is to inform the public. PEN Berlin spokesperson Deniz Yücel said: »This protection only applies to the extent that they are actually acting as journalists. But it applies regardless of their political views. Freedom of the press is indivisible.«
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), nearly 200 journalists have been killed since the start of the Gaza war following the Hamas massacre on 7 October 2023, many of them while carrying out their work. For media professionals, this war is one of the deadliest conflicts of recent decades.
Even in times of war, freedom of the press remains inviolable. As a democracy, Israel has a special responsibility to protect journalists and enable independent reporting. The fact that international reporters have not yet been permitted to enter Gaza means that local journalists, who work in extreme conditions and suffer alongside their families from the hostilities, are relied upon more heavily. As before the war, they also fear reprisals when their reporting does not align with Hamas’ views.
PEN Berlin calls for an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the latest incident, as well as for measures to be put in place to ensure that journalists are better protected while carrying out their work.
PEN Berlin. We stand by our word.