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	A free press is not a choice, but a necessity by Reporters Without Borders, UNESCO, agencies   May 2025   World Press Freedom Day 2025. (Committee to Protect Journalists)   Press freedom is no longer a given in the United States 100 days into President Donald Trump’s second term as journalists and newsrooms face mounting pressures that threaten their ability to report freely and the public’s right to know.   A new report released April 30 by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)– “Alarm bells: Trump’s first 100 days ramp up fear for the press, democracy,” noted that the administration has scaled up its rhetorical attacks and launched a startling number of actions using regulatory bodies and powerful allies that, taken together, may cause irreparable harm to press freedom in the U.S. and will likely take decades to repair.   The level of trepidation among U.S. journalists is such that CPJ has provided more security training since the November election than at any other period.   “This is a definitive moment for U.S. media and the public’s right to be informed. CPJ is providing journalists with resources at record rates so they can report safely and without fear or favor, but we need everyone to understand that protecting the First Amendment is not a choice, it’s a necessity. All our freedoms depend on it,” said CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg.   Emerging challenges to a free press in the United States fall under three main categories:   1) The restriction of access for some news organizations; 2) The increasing use of government and regulatory bodies against news organizations; and 3) Targeted attacks against journalists and newsrooms.   While The Associated Press (AP), a global newswire agency serving thousands of newsrooms in the U.S. and across the world, has faced retaliation for not adhering to state-mandated language, the Federal Communications Commission is mounting investigations against three major broadcasters – CBS, ABC, and NBC – along with the country’s two public broadcasters – NPR and PBS – in moves widely viewed as politically motivated.   “The rising tide of threats facing U.S. journalists and newsrooms are a direct threat to the American public,” said Ginsberg. “Whether at the federal or state level, the investigations, hearings, and verbal attacks amount to an environment where the media’s ability to bear witness to government action is already curtailed.”   Journalists who reached out to CPJ in recent months are worried about online harassment and digital and physical safety. Newsrooms have also shared with us worries about the possibility of punitive regulatory actions.   Since the presidential election last November until March 7 of this year, CPJ has provided safety consultations to more than 530 journalists working in the country. This figure was only 20 in all of 2022, marking an exponential increase in the need for safety information.   Globally, the gutting of the U.S. Agency for Global Media resulted in the effective termination of thousands of journalist positions, and the elimination of USAID independent media support impoverished the news landscape in many regions across the globe where the news ecosystem is underdeveloped or information is severely restricted.   As the executive branch of the U.S. government is taking unprecedented steps to permanently undermine press freedom, CPJ is calling on the public, news organizations, civil society, and all branches, levels, and institutions of government – from municipalities to the U.S. Supreme Court – to safeguard press freedom to help secure the future of American democracy.   In particular, Congress must prioritize passage of the PRESS Act and The Free Speech Protection Act, both bipartisan bills that can strengthen and protect press freedom throughout the United States.   * The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan organization that promotes press freedom worldwide. We defend the right of journalists to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal.   http://cpj.org/special-reports/alarm-bells-trumps-first-100-days-ramp-up-fear-for-the-press-democracy/ http://cpj.org/2025/04/cpj-joins-coalition-urging-congress-to-preserve-public-broadcasting-funding/ http://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/14/media/trump-media-speech/index.html http://www.ap.org/the-definitive-source/announcements/ap-statement-on-oval-office-access/ http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-press-club-statement-on-ap-reporter-blocked-from-the-oval-office-302374145.html http://pen.org/press-release/alarm-over-fcc-letter-questioning-npr-and-pbs-over-sponsorships/ http://www.freepress.net/news/press-releases/fcc-chairman-carr-npr-pbs-investigation http://cpj.org/2024/12/trump-steps-up-actions-against-press-with-des-moines-register-lawsuit   May 2025   Global Press Freedom Index falls to Critical Low. (IPS, Reporters Without Borders)   Global press freedom across the world is at a “critical moment,” campaigners have warned, as a major index mapping the state of global press freedom hits an unprecedented low.   In the latest edition of the annual press freedom index produced by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which was published on May 2, the average score of all assessed countries fell below 55 points, falling into the category of a “difficult situation” for the first time in the index’s history.   More than six out of ten countries (112 in total) saw their overall scores decline in the index, while the conditions for practicing journalism are for the first time classified as poor in half of the world’s countries and satisfactory in fewer than one in four.   In 42 countries—harboring over half of the world’s population (56.7 percent)—the situation is “very serious,” according to the group. In these zones, press freedom is entirely absent and practicing journalism is particularly dangerous.   RSF says that while there has been a downward trend in press freedom globally for some time, the latest index scores are a distressing “new low.”   “Our index has been warning of this for the last ten years—the trajectory for press freedom has been a downward one—but this is a new low. Sixty percent of countries saw their scores [in the index] drop last year and the environment for media freedom globally has worsened. We are now at a critical moment for press freedom globally,” Fiona O’Brien, UK Bureau Director for RSF, told IPS.   Experts and campaigners have in recent years warned of growing threats to press freedom amid a rise of authoritarian regimes looking to muzzle dissent, as well as growing economic pressures affecting the ability of independent media outlets to function.   RSF’s index is compiled using measurements of five different indicators—political context, legal framework, economic context, sociocultural context, and safety—to form an overall score. It says that this year the overall global index score was dragged down by the performance of the economic index.   It says that economic pressure is an often underestimated but major factor seriously weakening media in many countries. This pressure is being largely driven by ownership concentration, pressure from advertisers and financial backers, and public aid that is restricted, absent, or allocated non-transparently.   The group warns this is leaving many media trapped between preserving their editorial independence and ensuring their economic survival. “The pressure on media sustainability is as bad as it has ever been,” said O’Brien.   The effects of this economic pressure have been severe. Data collected for the index indicates that in 160 out of the 180 countries assessed (88.9 percent), media outlets achieve financial stability “with difficulty” or “not at all.” Meanwhile, news outlets are shutting down due to economic hardship in nearly a third of countries globally.   While the struggles of media economies in some countries have been exacerbated by political instability, general lack of resources, and war, media in other rich, ostensibly more stable countries are also facing significant economic pressures.   RSF points out that in the US, a majority of journalists and media experts told the group that “the average media outlet struggles for economic viability.”   Meanwhile, independent media that rely heavily or exclusively on foreign funding have come under increasing pressure.   A freeze on funding for the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which halted US international aid earlier this year plunged hundreds of news outlets in different countries around the world into economic uncertainty or forced others to close.   This was particularly acute in Ukraine, where nine out of ten outlets receive international aid and USAID is the primary donor.   “The US cuts have had a profound effect there,” Jeanne Cavalier, head of RSF’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk, told IPS. “Independent media is vital in any country that is at war. It’s a real blow to press freedom in the country,” she said.   She added, though, that the cuts to US funding were “an existential threat to press freedom in all countries with authoritarian governments under Russian influence,” highlighting that exiled media in particular provide a vital service to people living under such regimes.   The Meduza news outlet is one of the most prominent exiled Russian media organizations. While more than half of its financing comes through crowdfunding, until earlier this year a part of its funding came via US grants.   The group said that the combined impact of the cut and previous financial problems presented a significant challenge to its operations. It was forced to cut its workforce by 15 percent and salaries were reduced.   Speaking to IPS at the time, Katerina Abramova, Head of Communications at Meduza, said the moves would “influence the diversity of our content.” But speaking this week after the release of RSF’s index, she said the group had managed to continue its work but admitted, “it is even more challenging now.”   “Our main goal is to maintain the quality of our reporting and to keep delivering news inside Russia,” she said.   However, she said she was concerned for the future of other organizations like Meduza as press freedom and the economic health of independent media wane globally.   “I hope that there will not be a complete loss of independent reporting on countries where free speech has become illegal. But I know that many independent newsrooms are suffering and are on the edge of closing. When you are in exile, you are in a vulnerable position, so such newsrooms face the most difficult challenges,” she told IPS.   “I am also worried that the USAID cuts may be seen as a ‘good sign’ for many authoritarian regimes around the world. They might say, ‘look, the USA also doesn’t like journalists anymore.’ It would be like a validation of what they are doing to independent media [in their own countries],” she added.   Meanwhile, other organizations have also raised the alarm over growing threats to press freedom, even in countries regarded as among the strongest democracies in the world.   While in the RSF index the European Union (EU)-Balkans zone had the highest overall score globally, and its gap with the rest of the world continued to grow, a report released this week by the Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties) group highlighted how some EU governments were attacking press freedom and undermining independent media.   The report, based on the work of 43 human rights groups from 21 countries, warned that press freedom was being eroded across the bloc. It said EU media markets “feature high media ownership concentration, with these owners remaining obscured behind inadequate ownership transparency obligations, the continued erosion of public service media’s independence, ongoing threats and intimidation against journalists, and restrictions on freedom of expression and access to information.”   “The findings of this report should put EU officials on high alert: media freedom and pluralism are under attack across the EU, and in some cases they are in an existential battle against overtly undemocratic governments,” according to the group.   Liberties also warned that “EU legislation to bolster media freedom is being greeted with hostility, making enforcement efforts in 2025 and beyond decisive in protecting the free and plural media that European democracy depends on.”   However, it is this legislation, including the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), which is designed to guarantee the protection of journalists and sources, independence of regulatory bodies and full ownership transparency, and the Anti-SLAPP Directive (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) to protect journalists and human rights advocates from abusive legal proceedings, that experts see as providing hope that some of the threats to media freedom can be dealt with.   “At the individual country level within the EU, there are some problems. Where there has been a recent change in government away from authoritarianism, there has been some positive progress, e.g., in Poland. But in other countries, like Slovakia, we are seeing the reverse,” Eva Simon, Senior Advocacy Officer at Liberties, told IPS.   “But at the EU level, we see positive prospects for media freedom in new legislation. The EU Media Act is coming into force soon and the anti-SLAPP directive will come into effect next year.   “The EU has the power to intervene in countries where there are persistent problems and we have high hopes that the EU will use its powers to enforce the European Media Freedom Act. The EU has more tools than ever at its disposal to ensure media freedom in member states,” she added.   On April 30, the Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ) issued a damning report on how, since the start of US President Donald Trump’s second term in January, press freedom has come under attack.   The report warned that press freedom is no longer a given in the United States as journalists and newsrooms face mounting pressures that threaten both their ability to report freely and the public’s right to know.   It said the executive branch of the government was taking “unprecedented steps to permanently undermine press freedom” through restricting access for some news organizations, increasingly using government and regulatory bodies against media, and launching targeted attacks on journalists and newsrooms.   In a statement, CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg said, “This is a definitive moment for U.S. media and the public’s right to be informed. Whether at the federal or state level, the investigations, hearings, and verbal attacks amount to an environment where the media’s ability to bear witness to government action is already curtailed.”   The current threats to press freedom in the US are among the most worrying anywhere, many media experts say.   “There is a head-on attack on media freedom in the US. If you look at the scores for the US [in the index], the social indicator has dropped hugely, which shows that within the US the press is operating in a hostile environment. The economic situation there has deteriorated too, which makes things difficult for them,” said O’Brien.   “But also, a lot of people look to America as a bastion of press freedom, with its constitution’s First Amendment, and what is happening there to independent media is an absolute gift to authoritarian rulers around the world. If the rest of the world just sits back and watches this and lets press freedom be restricted and attacked and does nothing, other regimes will look and just think, ‘oh, it’s OK to do this.”   “World leaders have to now stand up for press freedom. Independent journalism is fundamental to democratic societies,” she added.   http://rsf.org/en/rsf-world-press-freedom-index-2025-economic-fragility-leading-threat-press-freedom http://www.ipsnews.net/2025/05/world-press-freedom-day-2025-global-press-freedom-index-falls-to-critical-low/ http://www.dw.com/en/us-press-freedom-no-longer-a-matter-of-course-under-trump/video-72410681 http://www.ifj.org/media-centre/news/detail/category/press-releases/article/south-asia-ifj-launches-23rd-annual-south-asia-press-freedom-report http://www.ifj.org/media-centre/news http://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2025/05/life-peril-unearth-truth http://soundcloud.com/unradio/our-press-vests-are-turning-us-into-targets-warns-lebanese-war-reporter http://unama.unmissions.org/world-press-freedom-day-un-afghanistan-urges-protection-media-freedoms http://www.unesco.org/en/days/press-freedom http://www.unesco.org/en/communication-information http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2025/05/what-is-the-state-of-global-press-freedom-in-2025/ http://www.icij.org/news/2025/02/foreign-aid-freeze-decimates-investigative-news-outlets-internationally/   Dec. 2024   Interview with Irene Khan, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression and opinion at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights:   What global trends currently pose the greatest threat to freedom of expression?   The greatest threat today is the backsliding of democracies. Authoritarian states have long maintained a totalitarian stance, systematically suppressing and censoring dissent. However, what is particularly alarming now is that even well-established democracies are beginning to curtail the space for free expression.   This is evident in the adoption of restrictive policies targeting media freedom and an increase in attacks on journalists. Such trends are deeply concerning, as media freedom is both a cornerstone of democracy and a fundamental human right.   What is your view on the debate on freedom of speech in Western democracies?   In Western democracies, and democracies in general, we are increasingly observing a polarisation of viewpoints, which creates an atmosphere of fear for those expressing opinions that deviate from the majority perspective.   While legal censorship may not always be present, social ostracism and informal pressure often lead individuals to self-censor. This, in effect, narrows the space for free speech.   Moreover, there are subtle but significant ways to suppress media freedom without physically attacking journalists. Some democratic states are adopting policies that edge towards a restrictive, less diverse media space. Hungary serves as a notable example: while the media is technically free, its ownership is largely monopolised by the ruling party.   Independent journalism exists primarily online, and outside urban centres like Budapest, people’s access to diverse and critical information is severely restricted. This is particularly concerning given Hungary’s status as a member of the European Union.   Social media platforms have enabled greater expression, but also facilitated disinformation. How should the international community navigate this tension?   When social media first emerged, it was seen as a tool for democratising speech, enabling individuals to share their views without needing access to large media outlets. Over time, however, it has also facilitated disinformation, misinformation, hate speech and various forms of information manipulation.   Under international law, information can only be restricted if it threatens the rights and reputation of others or national security, public order or health. It must be prohibited if it amounts to hate speech.   But falsehood by itself is not a sufficient reason to prohibit speech. That is because the line between truth and falsehood is often subjective and so open to abuse. This makes it challenging to define disinformation.   Governments frequently misuse the label of disinformation to suppress criticism against themselves. This erodes public trust in the government. Censoring false or manipulated information does not necessarily change the beliefs of those who spread or consume it. Instead, such actions can push conspiracy theories underground, making them harder to counter.   A more effective strategy against disinformation involves fact-checking and fostering reliable, diverse sources of information. Governments must also stop spreading falsehoods themselves and instead proactively provide accurate information.   Promoting media literacy is essential to enable the public to distinguish between credible sources and manipulated narratives. This shifts the focus from censorship to building trust in information ecosystems.   Harmful information and disinformation are really loose terms. Who checks the fact-checkers, and who should decide what is disinformation?   The key is not to focus on categorising or labelling specific content as disinformation, but rather to build a healthy information ecosystem. This means fostering diverse viewpoints, ensuring the presence of free and professional media and supporting a variety of independent outlets. Fact-checking should emerge organically from the availability of differing perspectives, not as a reaction to labelling one viewpoint as wrong.   Having multiple viewpoints allows people, provided they have the necessary media literacy, to identify trusted sources and distinguish credible information from unreliable claims. The ultimate goal should be to build public trust in the information landscape rather than to engage in a reactive fight against disinformation.   You monitor diverse situations around the world. Which regions are currently of greatest concern when it comes to restrictions on freedom of expression?   Almost every region faces challenges regarding freedom of expression. In authoritarian states like China, Russia, Cuba, Venezuela and Iran, there is no independent media at all. However, the issue is not confined to these regimes.   As mentioned before, even within the EU, Hungary exemplifies how disinformation and media control can erode press freedom. Even democratic countries such as Singapore and India are increasingly restricting independent public interest journalism.   This is a global problem with far-reaching implications. It undermines democracy, erodes public trust in information, stifles innovation and hampers development. Without urgent attention, these trends pose a significant threat to the global information ecosystem and democratic values.   Attacks on journalists have been rising globally. What concrete steps can states and civil society take to ensure the safety of media professionals?   The primary responsibility of states is to protect journalists, not treat them as adversaries. Journalists are truth-seekers, and their safety is crucial for democracy. Yet, impunity for crimes against journalist remains a major issue: UNESCO reports that nearly nine out of 10 cases of journalist killings go uninvestigated. This sends a dangerous signal: silencing a journalist can be done with little consequence.   Legal harassment is also on the rise, with counterterrorism laws misused to target journalists and others in the media sector, as seen in China with the National Security Law in Hong Kong and the case of Jimmy Lai. Strategic lawsuits are another tactic, where defamation suits are filed not to win but to silence journalists through financial and psychological pressure.   Digital threats are growing, too. Online gender-based violence and smear campaigns, particularly against women journalists, are pervasive. Additionally, the lack of media diversity exacerbates these challenges.   In many countries, media monopolies dominate, undermining plurality. Financial instability in the traditional media sector, worsened by declining ad revenues due to social media, further threatens press freedom.   To improve journalists’ safety, states must end impunity, stop legal harassment and create a supportive media environment with diverse ownership. Civil society must advocate for accountability, fact-based reporting and better protection mechanisms for journalists, both online and offline.   You recently raised awareness for journalists in Gaza and Lebanon. How bad is the situation there?   Gaza stands out as the deadliest conflict for media workers and journalists in over 30 years of UN-recorded history with the highest numbers of casualties. Many journalists have been killed by the sheer intensity of the war, and there have also been targeted killings. Under international humanitarian law, journalists are civilians and are entitled to protection. Deliberately killing a journalist constitutes a war crime. Yet, journalists have been deliberately killed in Gaza. This problem won’t end until impunity is tackled and those responsible for the killings are held accountable. In most cases, this means holding Israel to account.   Israel’s treatment of journalists in Gaza, the West Bank and even within its own borders reflects a disturbing pattern of seeking to silence reporting on war crimes. Measures such as killing and detaining journalists, banning Al Jazeera, refusing international journalists to access Gaza and placing pressure on independent Israeli media like Haaretz have increasingly obstructed critical reporting and restricted the media space. This is deeply concerning. As Israel has failed to investigate the killing of journalists in the occupied Palestinian territory, an independent international investigation should be initiated.   Journalists play an indispensable role in conflict zones. Without their reporting, the world would lack critical insight into the realities on the ground. Peace efforts in Gaza cannot progress without accurate information about the situation. Journalists are not only civilians under international law; they are, in many ways, akin to essential workers.   Like ambulance drivers, they move towards the danger rather than away from it. For this reason, they require protection not just equal to civilians, but even greater safeguards to ensure that their vital role in informing the world is upheld.   Do you also see any positive developments with regard to the freedom of expression worldwide?   Yes, there are positive developments. For instance, the reason I am here in Berlin – the Human Rights Award ceremony for PCIN, a journalist network from Nicaragua – provides a clear example. Although independent media in Nicaragua has been almost completely obliterated by the Ortega regime, journalists have shown remarkable solidarity by creating a network to support their colleagues in exile. This demonstrates that even in the harshest conditions, people find ways to strengthen freedom of expression.   Freedom of expression is not just about media freedom; it is a fundamental right that enables many other rights. It includes the right to information, which is essential for education, scientific progress, innovation, democracy and even peacebuilding.   At the grassroots level, freedom of expression has empowered marginalised groups, including women and indigenous people. While disinformation on social media platforms has negative impacts, digital tools have also brought people in remote areas together, enabling them to organise and drive meaningful change through protest, social and youth movements. These forms of activism are critical for building a better world and would not be possible without freedom of expression.   Yes, there are barriers and negative trends, driven by forces trying to restrict the space for free speech. However, resistance is strong. People continue to fight back, and that resilience is a powerful reason for hope.   http://www.ips-journal.eu/interviews/gaza-is-the-deadliest-conflict-for-media-workers-in-over-30-years-7981/ http://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-freedom-of-opinion-and-expression http://www.techpolicy.press/who-wins-from-the-igf-not-those-locked-up-for-speaking-out/ http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/12/nicaragua-enforced-disappearances-and-arbitrary-detentions-still-used   May 2024   "Without press freedom, we won't have any freedom. A free press is not a choice, but a necessity" - Antonio Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General   "The world is going through an unprecedented environmental emergency which poses an existential threat to this and future generations. People need to know about this – and journalists and media workers have a key role in informing and educating them.   Local, national and global media outlets can highlight stories about the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and environmental injustice.   Through their work, people come to understand the plight of our planet, and are mobilized and empowered to take action for change.   Media workers also document environmental degradation. And they provide evidence of environmental vandalism that helps to hold those responsible to account.   It is no surprise that some powerful people, companies and institutions will stop at nothing to prevent environmental journalists from doing their jobs.   Media freedom is under siege. And environmental journalism is an increasingly dangerous profession. Dozens of journalists covering illegal mining, logging, poaching and other environmental issues have been killed in recent decades. In the vast majority of cases, no one has been held to account.   UNESCO reports that in the past fifteen years, there have been some 750 attacks on journalists and news outlets reporting on environmental issues. And the frequency of such attacks is rising.   Legal processes are also misused to censor, silence, detain and harass environmental reporters, while a new era of climate disinformation focuses on undermining proven solutions, including renewable energy.   But environmental journalists are not the only ones at risk. Around the world, media workers are risking their lives trying to bring us news on everything from war to democracy. I am shocked and appalled by the high number of journalists killed in Israeli military operations in Gaza.   The United Nations recognizes the invaluable work of journalists and media professionals to ensure that the public is informed and engaged.   Without facts, we cannot fight mis- and disinformation. Without accountability, we will not have strong policies in place. Without press freedom, we won't have any freedom. A free press is not a choice, but a necessity.   Our World Press Freedom Day is very important. And so, I call on governments, the private sector and civil society to join us in reaffirming our commitment to safeguarding press freedom and the rights of journalists and media professionals around the world".   Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO:   "The planet is on the brink of a climatic precipice: 2023 was the hottest year on record, with an average global surface temperature 1.45°C higher than in the pre-industrial era. Other alarming records were also broken for ocean surface temperatures, sea level rise and glacier retreat. As humanity faces up to this existential peril, we must remember, on this World Press Freedom Day, that the climate challenge is also a journalistic and informational challenge. No effective climate action is possible without access to free and reliable scientific information.   That is why this year’s theme highlights the essentiallink between protecting freedom of expression – a global public good – and preserving our planet. But this World Day is also a call to action to protect journalism and free, pluralistic information.   A call to make the major social networks more accountable, so that they can step up their moderation and regulation measures to counter disinformation and conspiracy around climate change, in line with the Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms published by UNESCO in November 2023.   A call to equip all citizens with the critical thinking skills needed to confront disinformation. A call, also, to protect journalists and media professionals, artists and scientists, who are all too often the victims of harassment, violence and censorship. A UNESCO study published this month shows that 70% of environmental reporters have been the victims of attacks, threats or pressure because of their work, and 44 environmental journalists have been killed in the last 15 years.   Access to reliable information is all the more vital in this “super-election year”, when some 2.6 billion citizens are called to the polls. How can voters remain masters of their own destiny if their choices are distorted by false information and polarized by hate speech?   UNESCO remains firmly committed to defending freedom of expression as a fundamental human right and a pillar of democracy. UNESCO would like to relay a simple message: protecting free and pluralistic information also means protecting our democracies and our planet".   http://www.un.org/en/observances/press-freedom-day http://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-report-reveals-70-environmental-journalists-have-been-attacked-their-work http://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000389501 http://www.unesco.org/en/days/press-freedom http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements/2024/05/freedom-expression-and-media-crucial-tackling-climate-crisis-international http://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2024/05/podcast-world-press-freedom-day http://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-freedom-of-opinion-and-expression/annual-thematic-reports http://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/interview/2024/05/access-to-information-is-the-basis-of-democracy http://www.kofiannanfoundation.org/news/2024-kofi-annan-lecture-delivered-by-maria-ressa/   http://www.un.org/en/observances/end-impunity-crimes-against-journalists http://cpj.org/thematic-reports/in-record-year-china-israel-and-myanmar-are-worlds-leading-jailers-of-journalists/ http://cpj.org/thematic-reports/haiti-israel-most-likely-to-let-journalists-murders-go-unpunished-cpj-2024-impunity-index-shows/ http://cpj.org/features-and-analysis/ http://cpj.org/news/ http://rsf.org/en/voices-heard-repressed-rsf-s-new-report-journalism-metoo-era-calls-increased-support-journalists http://rsf.org/en http://minorityrights.org/emmap-reporting-for-peace/   http://coveringclimatenow.org/from-us-story/the-dangers-of-telling-the-truth/ http://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/environmental-activists/numbers-lethal-attacks-against-defenders-2012/ http://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/environmental-activists/ http://wmo.int/news/media-centre/climate-change-indicators-reached-record-levels-2023-wmo http://wmo.int/media/news/wmo-confirms-2023-smashes-global-temperature-record http://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-analysis-confirms-2023-as-warmest-year-on-record/ http://climate.copernicus.eu/weve-lost-19-years-battle-against-global-warming-paris-agreement   http://insideclimatenews.org/news/23042024/the-people-vs-citi-fossil-fuel-financing/ http://climateintegrity.org/news/doj-has-enough-evidence-to-sue-big-oil-for-climate-lies-expert-tells-congress http://climateintegrity.org/lie-brary http://fra.europa.eu/en/news/2024/combatting-greenwashing-protecting-consumers http://www.desmog.com/ http://influencemap.org/briefing/The-Carbon-Majors-Database-26913 http://carbonmajors.org/Use-Cases http://climateaccountability.org/news-updates/ http://climateanalytics.org/publications/carbon-majors-trillion-dollar-damages http://www.cell.com/one-earth/fulltext/S2590-3322(23)00198-7 http://counterhate.com/topic/climate-change-misinformation/   May 2024   2024 World Press Freedom Index. (Reporters Without Borders)   Press freedom around the world is being threatened by the very people who should be its guarantors – political authorities. This is clear from the latest annual World Press Freedom Index produced by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).   This finding is based on the fact that, of the five indicators used to compile the ranking, it is the political indicator that has fallen most, registering a global average fall of 7.6 points.   Governments fail to protect journalism   A growing number of governments and political authorities are not fulfilling their role as guarantors of the best possible environment for journalism and for the public's right to reliable, independent, and diverse news and information. RSF sees a worrying decline in support and respect for media autonomy and an increase in pressure from the state or other political actors.   As more than half the world's population goes to the polls in 2024, RSF is warning of a worrying trend revealed by the 2024 World Press Freedom Index: a decline in the political indicator, one of five indicators detailed in the Index.   "States and other political forces are playing a decreasing role in protecting press freedom. This disempowerment sometimes goes hand in hand with more hostile actions that undermine the role of journalists, or even instrumentalise the media through campaigns of harassment or disinformation". - Anne Bocande, RSF editorial director   At the international level, this year is notable for a clear lack of political will on the part of the international community to enforce the principles of protection of journalists, especially UN Security Council Resolution 2222. The war in Gaza has been marked by a record number of violations against journalists and the media since October 2023. More than 100 Palestinian reporters have been killed by the Israel Defence Forces, including at least 22 in the course of their work.   Occupied and under constant Israeli bombardment, Palestine is ranked 157th out of 180 countries and territories surveyed in the overall 2024 World Press Freedom Index, but it is ranked among the last 10 with regard to security for journalists (see the 2024 World Press Freedom Index security ranking).   Journalism vs disinformation in a super election year   While 2024 is the biggest election year in world history, 2023 also saw decisive elections, especially in Latin America, that were won by self-proclaimed predators of press freedom and media plurality, like Javier Milei in Argentina (down 26 to 66th), who shut down the country’s biggest news agency in a worrisome symbolic act.   Elections are often accompanied by violence against journalists, as in Nigeria (112th) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (123rd). The military juntas that seized power in coups in the Sahel, especially Niger (down 19 to 80th), Burkina Faso (down 28 to 86th) and Mali (down one to 114th), continue to tighten their grip on the media and obstruct journalists’ work. Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s reelection in Türkiye is also a source of some concern: ranked 158th, the country’s placement in the Index continues to lose points in the Index.   In the absence of regulation, the use of generative AI in the arsenal of disinformation for political purposes is a concern. Deepfakes now occupy a leading position in influencing the course of elections.   This was evidenced by the audio deepfake of the journalist Monika Todova during the parliamentary elections in Slovakia (down 12 to 29th), one of the first documented cases of this type of attack on a journalist with the aim of influencing the outcome of a democratic election.   Many governments have stepped up their control over social media and the Internet, restricting access, blocking accounts, and suppressing messages carrying news and information. Journalists who say what they think on social media in Vietnam (174th) are almost systematically locked up.   In China (172nd), in addition to detaining more journalists than any other country in the world, the government continues to exercise strict control over information channels, implementing censorship and surveillance policies to regulate online content and restrict the spread of information deemed to be sensitive or contrary to the party line.   Some political groups fuel hatred and distrust of journalists by insulting them, discrediting them, and threatening them. Others are orchestrating a takeover of the media ecosystem, whether through state-owned media under their control, or privately owned media via acquisitions by allied businessmen.   Giorgia Meloni’s Italy (46th) – where a member of the ruling parliamentary coalition is trying to acquire the second biggest news agency (AGI) – has fallen five places this year.   Political groups often serve as channels of dissemination, or even instigators of disinformation campaigns. In more than three quarters of the countries evaluated in the Index (138 countries), the majority of the questionnaire respondents reported that political actors in their countries were often involved in propaganda or disinformation campaigns. This involvement was described as “systematic” in 31 countries.   In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, media censorship has intensified in a spectacular mimicry of Russian repressive methods, especially in Belarus (down 10 to 167th), Georgia (103rd), Kyrgyzstan (120th), and Azerbaijan (down 13 to 164th). Kremlin influence has reached as far as Serbia (down seven to 98th), where pro-government media carry Russian propaganda and the authorities threaten exiled Russian journalists. Russia (162nd), where Vladimir Putin was unsurprisingly reelected in 2024, continues to wage a war in Ukraine (61st) that has had a big impact on the media ecosystem and journalists’ safety.   The best and the worst   The overall decline in the political indicator has also affected the trio at the top of the World Press Freedom Index. Norway, still in first place, has seen a fall in its political score, and Ireland (8th), where politicians have subjected media outlets to judicial intimidation, has ceded its leading position in the European Union to Denmark (2nd), followed by Sweden (3rd).   The three Asian countries at the bottom of last year’s Index – Vietnam, China and North Korea – have ceded their positions to three countries whose political scores have plummeted: Afghanistan (down 44 in the political ranking), which has persecuted journalists incessantly since the Taliban returned to power; Syria (down eight in the political ranking); and Eritrea (down nine in the political ranking), which is now last in both the political and overall rankings. The last two countries have become lawless zones for the media, with a record number of journalists detained, missing or held hostage.   The Index by regions   The Maghreb - Middle East region is the one with the worst situation in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index. It is followed by the Asia-Pacific region, where journalism is suffocating under the weight of authoritarian governments. Africa, although less than 10% of the region is in a “very serious” situation, almost half of the countries are in a “difficult” situation.   The countries where press freedom is “good” are all in Europe, and more specifically within the European Union, which has adopted its first media freedom law (EMFA). Ireland has dropped out of the Index’s top three countries, replaced by Sweden, while Germany is now one of the top ten countries. Press freedom is nonetheless being put to the test in Hungary, Malta and Greece, the three lowest-ranked EU countries.   Further east in Europe, the conditions for practising journalism are deteriorating due to the scale of disinformation and censorship of media outlets falsely accused of undermining national security or terrorism. This is the case in Russia (162nd), Belarus (167th) and Turkmenistan (175th), while in Georgia (down 26 to 103rd), the ruling party is cultivating a rapprochement with Moscow. As a result of improvements in its security indicator – fewer journalists killed – and its political indicator, Ukraine (61st) has moved up 18 places.   In the Americas, the inability of journalists to cover subjects related to organised crime, corruption or the environment for fear of reprisals poses a major problem. The percentage of countries whose situation is classified as “satisfactory” (yellow) has drastically dropped from 36% in 2023 to 21% in 2024. One of the world’s biggest economic powers, the United States, has fallen ten places.   In almost all of the countries in South America, the press freedom situation is now “problematic” – a deterioration due in part to the election of press freedom predators such as Javier Milei and governments’ inability to reduce violence against journalists. Mexico continues to be the most dangerous country for journalists, with 37 killed since 2019.   Sub-Saharan Africa was very affected by political violence during major elections in 2023. More than 8% of African countries are now coloured red on the chart, twice as many as in 2023. Nigeria, Togo and Madagascar have been hit by waves of repression of reporters. The region is marked by the decline in security in several Sahel countries – Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali.   In the Asia-Pacific region – the world’s second most difficult region for practising journalism – five countries are among the world’s ten most dangerous countries for media personnel: Myanmar (171st), China (172nd), North Korea (177th), Vietnam (174th) and Afghanistan (178th). But, unlike last year, none of the region’s countries is in the Index’s top 15.   In the Middle East and North Africa, the situation is “very serious” in nearly half of the countries. The United Arab Emirates joins the eight other countries in the red zone on the map: Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Palestine, Iraq, Bahrain, Syria and Egypt. Palestine, occupied and under bombardment by the Israeli army, and the deadliest country for journalists, is also at the bottom of the Index. Qatar is now the region’s only country where the situation is not classified either as “difficult” or “very serious.”   In all regions of the world, upcoming elections portend very strong pressure on journalists.   http://rsf.org/en/2024-world-press-freedom-index-journalism-under-political-pressure http://rsf.org/en/russia-s-blocks-rsf-site-ahead-world-press-freedom-index-release-mirror-site-still-accessible http://rsf.org/en/region/asia-pacific http://rsf.org/en/press-freedom-not-fully-protected-hong-kong-rsf-debunks-china-s-claims-10-points http://cpj.org/2024/05/cpj-11-organizations-sign-santiago-30-declaration-ahead-of-world-press-freedom-day/ http://cpj.org/features-and-analysis/ http://www.ips-journal.eu/topics/democracy-and-society/our-freedoms-depend-on-press-freedom-7486/ http://latamjournalismreview.org/articles/report-highlights-connection-between-violence-against-press-and-destruction-of-the-amazon/ http://latamjournalismreview.org/news-monitor/   http://www.ifj.org/media-centre/news/detail/category/press-releases/article/south-asia-ifj-launches-22nd-annual-south-asia-press-freedom-report http://www.ifj.org/ http://rsf.org/en/sahel-rsf-and-over-500-community-radio-stations-call-protection-local-journalism http://www.liberties.eu/en/stories/media-freedom-report-2024-blog/45029 http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/05/media-freedom-under-threat/ http://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2024/world-service-presents-journalists-in-exile http://www.article19.org/issue/media-freedom/ http://www.mediamatters.org/ http://www.icij.org/ http://iwpr.net/global-voices/spotlight/wpfd-2024 http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/05/russia-un-human-rights-chief-troubled-increasing-crackdown-journalists http://www.ipsnews.net/2024/05/press-freedom-climate-journalism-united-crisis/ http://www.theguardian.com/media/series/world-press-freedom-day-2024   http://www.journalistsfreedom.com/gaza-is-the-worst-of-it-but-across-the-world-journalism-is-under-unprecedented-assault/ http://corporate.dw.com/en/open-letter-call-for-media-access-to-gaza/a-70229638 http://www.ibanet.org/The-ongoing-risks-to-journalists-and-media-freedom-a-salient-reminder-on-World-Press-Freedom-Day-2024 http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jun/17/sweden-far-right-media-nordic-model http://www.article19.org/resources/europe-rule-of-law-report-shows-the-need-to-enforce-stronger-safeguards/ http://www.euronews.com/next/2024/06/17/ai-presents-maximum-risk-for-news-companies-as-trust-in-the-global-media-dips-study-finds Visit the related web page
	Gaza conflict brings immense human suffering by UN News, OCHA, UNICEF, OHCHR, agencies   Feb. 2025   Study reveals Human Impact of UNRWA Ban: Lifelines to Millions at Risk - Norwegian Refugee Council   In less than one week, Israel’s ban on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) will come into effect, marking a critical moment for Palestinian refugees. A new report from the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) outlines the on-the-ground consequences of this unprecedented policy shift.   The Israeli parliament passed the controversial legislation in October 2024, prohibiting UNRWA from operating within Israeli-controlled territories, including East-Jerusalem. The 28 January implementation deadline looms large, threatening to disrupt essential services for millions of Palestinian refugees who depend on UNRWA for education, healthcare and food assistance.   “UNRWA provides a lifeline to some of the most vulnerable communities in the region,” warned Jørgen Jensehaugen, a Senior Researcher at PRIO and co-author of the study. “In less than one week’s time, its collapse in Israeli-controlled areas could cripple the humanitarian operation in Gaza, and lead to a collapse of healthcare and education for thousands in the West Bank.”   The policy brief, ‘Consequences of the Israeli UNRWA Ban,’ highlights the acute challenges posed by the new laws. In Gaza, where nearly 2 million people rely on UNRWA aid, the suspension of services could exacerbate an already dire humanitarian situation.   Lifesaving relief delivery will plummet without UNRWA, even with increased aid under the ceasefire agreement, as the distribution structure will collapse. Replacing UNRWA’s mechanisms would involve significant costs and delays, with humanitarian experts estimating it could take one to three years.   Before the latest round of conflict, UNRWA provided primary education to nearly 300,000 pupils. The impact of the ban on Gaza’s education sector has been largely overlooked, despite no other UN entity being equipped to educate so many children. The study warns that without UNRWA, education will likely be replaced by fragmented, lower-quality initiatives run by multiple agencies.   UNRWA has also delivered critical healthcare, including 4.4 million outpatient consultations annually, along with specialist care, dental screenings and x-rays. The cessation of these services will leave millions without essential medical care, depriving refugees of routine check-ups, vital medications and emergency treatments, putting countless lives at risk.   As the deadline approaches, international organizations and donor nations are left grappling with how to respond.   “The clock is ticking, and without coordinated global action, the repercussions will be serious, most acutely effecting Gaza, but also having the potential to push the situation in the West Bank across the brink,” warned Jensehaugen.   http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/new-study-reveals-human-impact-unrwa-ban-lifelines-millions-risk http://www.justsecurity.org/109772/israel-humanitarian-ngo-guidelines/ http://www.diakonia.se/ihl/news/renewed-hostilities-in-gaza/   21 Jan. 2025   UNRWA ‘committed to staying and delivering’ despite ban due to come into effect. (UN News)   In a matter of days, UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees may be forced to end its crucial, life-saving operations in Gaza and The West Bank. Legislation passed by the Israeli Government, due to come into effect at the end of the month, would make it impossible for UNRWA to continue operating in the occupied Palestinian territories.   Juliette Touma, the UNRWA Director of Communications, told Conor Lennon from UN News that despite the threat hanging over the agency, her colleagues on the ground remain dedicated to providing essential services in both Gaza and the West Bank.   http://news.un.org/en/audio/2025/01/1159226   Jan. 2025   The Elders warn Gaza ceasefire and recovery at risk if UNRWA is not protected.   The Elders have warned that a sustained ceasefire and recovery in Gaza are at risk if Israel ends cooperation with UNRWA on 30 January, in line with the legislation passed by the Israeli Knesset in October.   After fifteen months of war and at least 46,000 Palestinians killed, the massive surge in humanitarian relief and the restoration of essential services that are so urgently needed now rely on UNRWA as the indispensable agency in Gaza.   If implemented, the legislation would prohibit contact between UNRWA and Israeli authorities, ending the de-confliction needed for safe operations in Gaza. It could also end UNRWA’s ability to operate across the Occupied Palestinian Territory. To do so at the very moment when a ceasefire is opening the way for recovery in Gaza and the welcome release of all Israeli hostages would be morally reprehensible.   UN member states have a duty to defend UNRWA against this serious attack, which violates the UN Charter. A mandate given by the General Assembly, and reaffirmed in the resolution passed on 5 December, cannot be revoked by a national parliament. UNRWA remains essential until there is a just solution for Palestinian refugees, and its functions are transferred to a Palestinian entity as part of a peace settlement. Member states should impose targeted sanctions if the Israeli government implements the legislation, given it constitutes a clear violation of international law with grave consequences.   We regret that US funding to UNRWA remains suspended, and that Sweden decided to stop funding the agency in December. European and Arab states must stand by their commitments to provide political and financial support to UNRWA at this critical time.   http://theelders.org/news/elders-warn-gaza-ceasefire-and-recovery-risk-if-unrwa-not-protected http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/israeli-laws-set-take-effect-48-hours-un-palestine-refugee-agency-chief-warns-security-council-risks-gaza-ceasefire-recovery-efforts http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/mr-tom-fletcher-under-secretary-general-humanitarian-affairs-and-emergency-relief-coordinator-briefing-security-council-plight-children-gaza-strip-given-gravity-humanitarian-situation-gaza-23-january-2025   Nov. 2024 (UN News, agencies)   The vote by the Israeli Knesset banning the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) contradicts principles of the UN Charter, violates Israel’s obligations under international law, and sets a dangerous precedent, the head of the Agency, Philippe Lazzarini has warned.   “This is the latest in the ongoing campaign to discredit UNRWA and delegitimize its role towards providing human-development assistance and services to Palestine refugees,” Mr. Lazzarini said, following reports of the long-anticipated vote being taken by Knesset members, passing by a margin on 92-10.   Mr. Lazzarini added that the two bills which will reportedly come into effect within 90 days “will only deepen the suffering” of Palestinians, especially in Gaza where people have been going through “more than a year of sheer hell”.   “These bills increase the suffering of the Palestinians and are nothing less than collective punishment,” he said.   Virtually the entire population of the Gaza Strip depends on humanitarian assistance, with UNRWA as the “backbone” of UN’s relief efforts in the war-ravaged enclave.   In addition to helping deliver food and other lifesaving essentials, UNRWA is also crucial for overseeing the ongoing polio vaccination drive.   UNRWA’s importance has been reiterated by several countries as well as UN’s leadership, including the Secretary-General, who has described the agency’s historic and leading humanitarian role as “irreplaceable”.   Mr. Lazzarini stated that putting an end to UNRWA and its services “will not strip the Palestinians from their refugee status”.   “That status is protected by another UN General Assembly resolution until a fair and lasting solution is found to the plight of the Palestinians,” he said.   “Failing to push back these bills will weaken our common multilateral mechanism established after World War Two,” he added.   UNRWA was established by the General Assembly in December 1949 “to carry out direct relief and works programmes” for Palestine refugees. It began its operations on 1 May 1950.   The acting head of UN aid coordination office, OCHA, expressed her teams' "full solidarity with UNRWA whose work is essential to millions of Palestinians." Joyce Msuya added that the decision was "dangerous and outrageous. There is no alternative to UNRWA."   A spokesman for United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) said other agencies would not be able to fill the void left by UNRWA, whose banning marked "catastrophe upon catastrophe" for the people of Gaza.   "They are the organisation that is able to go north to south to east to west," James Elder told reporters. "UNRWA has the size and scope and no agency can go with that. "If you take away the backbone of whatever is left of that aid supply, as we've said for a long time, you guarantee that more children are being killed".   Many world leaders expressed their grave concern over the ramifications of the move by Israeli parliamentarians, highlighting that UNRWA plays a critical, important role in delivering humanitarian assistance to civilians in desperate need in Gaza.   UNICEF statement on Israeli legislation on UNRWA:   "UNRWA is the main UN agency providing essential services and protection to Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and is the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza. As the Secretary-General has said, ‘there is no alternative to UNRWA.’   “UNRWA is the only United Nations General Assembly-mandated agency to provide for Palestinian refugees. UNRWA runs a range of social services, with over 18,000 employees in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, providing health, education and other essential services for Palestinian refugees. No UN agency can take over this responsibility.   “UNRWA is indispensable in delivering the urgent, life-saving assistance that 2.2 million people in Gaza urgently need. With the children of Gaza already facing one of the gravest humanitarian crises in recent history, if fully implemented, this decision will be deadly.”   http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/press-briefing-unrwa-commissioner-general-philippe-lazzarini-17-january-2025 http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/dec/20/unrwa-stop-saving-lives-gaza-israel-un-agency http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/11/1156471 http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/10/1156231 http://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/official-statements/vote-israeli-parliament-knesset-against-unrwa-evening-unprecedented-and http://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/news-releases/united-nations-security-council-press-statement-united-nations-relief-and   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unicef-statement-israeli-legislation-unrwa http://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/crc/statements/2024-11-14-Statement-UNRWA.pdf http://www.ochaopt.org/ http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/foreign-ministers-statement-legislation-against-united-nations-relief-and-works-agency-palestine-refugees-near-east-under-consideration-israeli-knesset http://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/israelpalestine-statement-high-representative-draft-legislation-could-stop-unrwa-operations-occupied_en http://www.channel4.com/news/banning-unrwa-could-lead-to-mass-death-of-children-says-norwegian-refugee-council http://www.msf.org/israeli-unrwa-ban-will-deepen-palestinian-humanitarian-catastrophe   http://interagencystandingcommittee.org/inter-agency-standing-committee/statement-principals-inter-agency-standing-committee-stop-assault-palestinians-gaza-and-those-trying http://www.unocha.org/news/conditions-gaza-unfit-human-survival-acting-un-relief-chief-tells-security-council http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/ipc-famine-review-committee-alert-gaza-strip-published-8-november-2024 http://www.ids.ac.uk/opinions/israels-long-war-against-unrwa/ http://www.mercycorps.org/press-room/releases/Gaza-30-day-report   Oct. 2024   It has been a year of unimaginable suffering, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said today as it marked one year since Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups launched the deadliest attack in Israel’s history – a horrific event that foreshadowed the devastation brought on by the Israeli response.   The toll is staggering:   According to Israeli sources, more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed, including children, and nearly 5,500 have been injured.   Scores of hostages remain in Gaza, reportedly subjected to inhuman treatment, including sexual violence, exposed to hostilities and denied access to humanitarian assistance or visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross.   Entire Israeli communities have been displaced, living under the constant threat of indiscriminate rocket fire.   In Gaza, where Palestinians have already been reeling from the impact of a 17-year-old air, sea and land blockade and repeated cycles of hostilities, Israeli military operations have resulted in a catastrophe. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, more than 41,600 Palestinians have reportedly been killed, many of them women and children, and 96,600 injured. Thousands more are missing and believed to be trapped under the rubble.   Nearly the entire population of Gaza has been displaced, many of them multiple times, with no safe place to go.   Thousands of Palestinians are arbitrarily detained, reportedly subjected to torture and other inhuman treatment and with no information on their whereabouts.   Civilians face extreme deprivation, with limited or no access to health care, food, electricity or humanitarian aid. Children have missed out on an entire year of education. Schools sheltering displaced families have been repeatedly shelled, health-care workers and hospitals have been systematically attacked, and aid convoys have been continually blocked and even shot at.   In the West Bank, the use of lethal force by Israeli forces, along with rampant settler violence and house demolitions, have led to a sharp rise in fatalities, widespread destruction and forced displacement.   “No statistics or words can fully convey the extent of the physical, mental and societal devastation that has taken place,” said Joyce Msuya, the Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.   “But we know what must happen: The hostages must be released and treated humanely. Civilians must be protected and their essential needs met. Palestinians arbitrarily detained must be released. Humanitarian workers must be safeguarded and their work facilitated. Perpetrators must be held accountable for any serious violations of international humanitarian law. And the assault on Gaza must stop.”   The past year has seen Israel blocking humanitarian access into and within Gaza, crippling aid operations. As a result, a weakened population is left to battle disease, hunger and death.   More than 300 aid workers, the vast majority from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), have been killed in Gaza – more than in any other single crisis, making Gaza the most dangerous place for aid workers.   Despite the immense risks – including violence, looting of supplies, and access challenges – humanitarian agencies continue to deliver aid when and where they can. More than 560,000 children were vaccinated against polio during the first phase of an emergency vaccination campaign – an example of what can be achieved when aid workers can reach people in need. But such examples are few.   “It has been 12 months of unrelenting tragedy – this must end,” said Ms. Msuya. “Member States must wield their influence to ensure respect for international humanitarian law and human rights and compliance with the rulings of the International Court of Justice. They must also work to end impunity. An immediate ceasefire and durable peace are long overdue.”   http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/one-year-unimaginable-suffering-7-october-attack-enarhe http://reliefweb.int/country/pse http://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2024-10-07/secretary-generals-message-mark-one-year-the-attacks-of-7-october-2023-scroll-down-for-arabic-chinese-french-hebrew-russian-and-spanish http://www.icrc.org/en/news-release/year-loss-and-pain-icrc-appeals-human-dignity-and-urgent-action-ease-suffering http://www.nrc.no/news/2024/october/israel-gaza-conflict-only-ceasefire-can-end-suffering-for-civilians-after-catastrophic-year/ http://interagencystandingcommittee.org/inter-agency-standing-committee/statement-principals-inter-agency-standing-committee-situation-occupied-palestinian-territory-these   UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. (12/8/2024):   "75 years ago today, the Geneva Conventions were put in place to protect civilians in times of wars. They are the universal “Rules of War” meant to limit the devastating impact of wars and conflicts on humanity. The one set of rules we “all agree on”, but do we?   In the past 10 months, these rules have been blatantly broken day in, day out in Gaza by the Israeli Forces as well as the Palestinian armed groups including Hamas.   More concerning, Member States- party to the Geneva Conventions - have failed in their responsibilities to respect the conventions and ensure that parties to the conflict respect them under all circumstances.   Our shared values enshrined in the Conventions are at stake as is our shared humanity. It is time to re-instate those values and re-commit to the Conventions. They are the compass of international humanitarian law.   The basics still apply: Civilians, women, children, detainees must be protected. Schools, hospitals, people’s homes, humanitarian and UN staff, facilities & operations must be protected".   http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/10/1155471 http://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/israelpalestine-statement-high-representative-draft-legislation-could-stop-unrwa-operations-occupied_en http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/foreign-ministers-statement-legislation-against-united-nations-relief-and-works-agency-palestine-refugees-near-east-under-consideration-israeli-knesset http://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/official-statements/remarks-unrwa-chief-staff-mr-ben-majekodunmi-world-humanitarian-day http://www.ochaopt.org/content/mass-evacuations-gaza-choke-survival-and-severely-constrain-aid-operations http://odi.org/en/insights/think-change-episode-52-the-rules-of-war-are-changing-how-can-humanitarians-be-better-protected/ http://www.refugeesinternational.org/statements-and-news/refugees-international-mourns-a-year-of-devastation-calls-on-hamas-and-israel-to-end-this-war/   May 2024   The war in Gaza has become a moral stain on the conscience of our collective humanity, by Joyce Msuya, UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator:   Seven months of fighting have turned Gaza into a hellscape for millions trapped under incessant bombardment. The war has killed over 35,000 people; 80,000 more are wounded or missing, with many more trapped under the rubble. For months, women and children have been killed at a rate that exceeds any war in this century.   And those who’ve escaped death and injury now risk losing their lives because of a lack of food, safe water, medicine and healthcare.   Every day, scores of women give birth in horrifying conditions, often without anesthesia or medical aid, as bombs explode around them. Mothers watch their babies die in their arms because they don’t have enough milk to keep them alive. And children are dying because they don’t have enough food or water.   What aid makes it into Gaza is being delivered by humanitarian workers who are forced to navigate checkpoints, unexploded bombs and intense fighting – at tremendous risk to their own lives.   This war – which has caused such pain, suffering and grief – must end so that the Palestinian people can begin to confront the trauma inflicted on them. I echo the Secretary-General’s longstanding call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, and the immediate and unconditional release of hostages.   To reach people in need, we need multiple, reliable entry points for aid. We need law and order. And humanitarian workers must be protected, and not attacked. Until we have safe routes, the flow of aid simply will not match the enormous scale of the catastrophe.   We need Israeli authorities to abide by their obligations to facilitate safe, rapid and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid and humanitarian workers. This includes for UNRWA, which has been the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza for decades and is best positioned to respond to the dire needs of the Palestinian people.   http://news.un.org/en/focus-topic/middle-east http://www.ochaopt.org/updates http://reliefweb.int/country/pse http://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/official-statements http://www.unrwa.org/ http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/gaza-humanitarian-snapshot-15-july-2024 http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/un-human-rights-office-opt-un-human-rights-office-condemns-israeli-defense-forces-strike-al-tabaeen-school-gaza-city http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/08/1153041 http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/08/1153001 http://www.care-international.org/news/nowhere-safe-gaza-attacks-al-mawassi-kill-dozens-people-and-leave-hundreds-more-injured http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/07/1152081 http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/07/1151921 http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-executive-director-catherine-russell-situation-gaza-strip http://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/gaza-hunger-figures-reflect-shameful-failure-global-leaders-oxfam http://www.msf.org/no-end-sight-repeated-trauma-displacement-people-gaza http://www.theparentscircle.org/en/pcff-activities_eng/memorial-ceremony_eng/   28 Mar. 2024   The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has issued new provisional measures for Israel as the humanitarian situation in besieged Gaza continues to deteriorate. (UN News)   The ICJ provisional measures state that Israel, “in view of the worsening conditions of life faced by Palestinians in Gaza, in particular the spread of famine and starvation”, shall take “all necessary and effective measures to ensure, without delay, in full cooperation with the United Nations, the unhindered provision at scale by all concerned of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to Palestinians throughout Gaza”.   The measures outline that the required aid includes food, water, electricity, fuel, shelter, clothing, hygiene and sanitation requirements, as well as medical supplies and medical care.   The fresh ICJ order also calls on Israel, as a signatory to the Genocide Convention, to undertake those measures, “including by increasing the capacity and number of land crossing points and maintaining them open for as long as necessary”.   UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric reminded journalists at the daily news briefing that the ICJ operates independently. “We do believe as a matter of principle that all Member States abide by decisions of the court,” he said.   The ICJ was established by the UN Charter as the principal judicial organ of the UN.   http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/03/1148096 http://www.icc-cpi.int/news/statement-icc-prosecutor-karim-aa-khan-kc-applications-arrest-warrants-situation-state http://www.icc-cpi.int/palestine http://www.icc-cpi.int/news?f[0]=related_to:786 http://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/customary-ihl/v1/rule139 http://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/customary-ihl/v1 http://www.savethechildren.net/news/over-2-gaza-s-child-population-killed-or-injured-six-months-war http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/04/1148161   Mar. 2024   Children in Gaza need life-saving support. (UNICEF)   The escalation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip is having a catastrophic impact on children and families. Children are dying at an alarming rate – thousands have been killed and thousands more injured. Around 1.7 million people in the Gaza Strip are estimated to have been internally displaced – half of them children. They do not have enough access to water, food, fuel and medicine. Their homes have been destroyed; their families torn apart. There is nowhere safe for them to go.   Even wars have rules. No child should be cut off from essential services, nor fall from the reach of humanitarian hands. No child should be held hostage or used by any means in armed conflict. Hospitals and schools must be protected from bombings, and they must not be used for military purposes, in accordance with international humanitarian law. The cost to children and their communities of this violence will be borne out for generations to come.   UNICEF continues to press world leaders on every occasion for humanitarian access to the whole of Gaza. To respond to the situation for children in Israel and the State of Palestine, UNICEF is calling for:   An immediate and long-lasting humanitarian ceasefire. Safe and unrestricted humanitarian access to and within the Gaza Strip to reach affected populations wherever they are, including in the north. All access crossings must be opened including for sufficient fuel and materials needed to run and rehabilitate essential infrastructure and commercial supplies.   Safe movement for humanitarian workers and supplies across the Gaza Strip must be guaranteed and reliable telecommunications networks made available to coordinate response efforts.   The immediate, safe and unconditional release of all abducted children, and an end to any grave violations against all children, including killing and maiming of children.   Respect and protection for civilian infrastructure such as shelters and schools, and health, electric, water, sanitation and telecommunications facilities, to prevent loss of civilian and children’s lives, outbreaks of diseases, and to provide care to the sick and wounded.   All parties to the conflict must respect international humanitarian law.   Urgent medical cases in Gaza to be able to safely access critical health services or be allowed to leave, and for injured or sick children evacuated to be accompanied by family members.   * 1.1 million people in Gaza are projected to face catastrophic levels of food insecurity between March and July 2024, up from 378,000 in December 2023, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification analysis released on 18 March:   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/gazas-children-trapped-cycle-suffering http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/alerts-archive/issue-97/en/ http://www.who.int/news/item/18-03-2024-famine-in-gaza-is-imminent--with-immediate-and-long-term-health-consequences http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/03/gaza-halt-war-now-save-children-dying-imminent-famine-un-committee-warns http://www.unicef.org/emergencies/children-gaza-need-lifesaving-support http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/acute-malnutrition-has-doubled-one-month-north-gaza-strip-unicef   http://www.ochaopt.org/content/six-months-war-gaza-betrayal-humanity http://www.ifrc.org/press-release/gaza-six-months-inhumanity http://www.ochaopt.org/content/statement-humanitarian-coordinator-occupied-palestinian-territory-mr-jamie-mcgoldrick-6-april http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/unicef-state-palestine-humanitarian-situation-report-no-21-escalation-7-20-march-2024 http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/03/1147656 http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/03/1147916   21 Feb. 2024   UN agencies join call for safe humanitarian access.   Hungry, thirsty and weak, more and more Gazans are falling sick, according to a report published this week. At least 90 per cent of children aged under 5 are affected by one or more infectious diseases, with 70 percent having had diarrhoea in the past two weeks, according to analysis from the Global Nutrition Cluster.   “An immediate humanitarian ceasefire continues to provide the best chance to save lives and end suffering,” the World Food Programme, UNICEF and the World Health Organization said in a statement.   “If the conflict doesn’t end now, children’s nutrition will continue to plummet, leading to preventable deaths or health issues which will affect the children of Gaza for the rest of their lives and have intergenerational consequences,” said UNICEF’s deputy executive director for humanitarian action and supply operations, Ted Chaiban.   High levels of disease, the severe shortage of food and clean water, and the almost total collapse of health services are compounding child wasting and making every day a struggle to survive for adults.   Nutrition screenings conducted at shelters and health centres found that 15.6 per cent of children under 2 are acutely malnourished. Valerie Guarnieri, World Food Programme Assistant Executive Director for Programme Operations, has called for “decisive improvements on security and humanitarian access, and additional entry points for aid to enter Gaza.”   “Imagine being so hungry you are willing to run into gunfire to collect food. That’s a reflection of the level of desperation people of Gaza are facing today,” said Matthew Hollingworth, World Food Programme Country Director for Palestine.   In the whole month of January, WFP only managed to get four convoys into Gaza – that’s around 35 truckloads of food, enough for almost 130,000 people. “This is really not enough to prevent a famine, and we know levels of hunger in Gaza City are already at that level or getting to that level”.   “Gaza today looks entirely different than it did four months ago,” he said. “Half the buildings across the entirety of the Strip are rubble.. There’s no, or limited, clean water. It’s a public healthcare crisis as well as a hunger crisis. We desperately need significant amounts of aid to get into Gaza every single day.”   “We need the fighting to stop,” he added. “If the warfare is over, we can get about the business of making sure that we can get sufficient assistance into all areas of the Strip.”   http://www.wfp.org/stories/gaza-wfp-forced-pause-food-distributions-north-report-warns-worsening-crisis http://actionaid.org/news/2024/gaza-airdrops-and-sea-routes-are-no-alternative-aid-delivery-land http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/mr-ramesh-rajasingham-director-ocha-coordination-division-behalf-under-secretary-general-humanitarian-affairs-and-emergency-relief-coordinator-mr-martin-griffiths-update-food-security-risks-gaza-27-february-2024 http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/03/comment-un-high-commissioner-human-rights-volker-turk-risk-famine-gaza http://www.ohchr.org/en/media-centre/statements-grave-situation-occupied-palestinian-territory-and-israel http://interagencystandingcommittee.org/inter-agency-standing-committee/statement-principals-inter-agency-standing-committee-civilians-gaza-extreme-peril-while-world http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-briefing-notes/2024/03/fears-over-gaza-catastrophe-brutal-conflict-enters-sixth-month http://www.icrc.org/en/document/statement-gaza-and-israel-president-icrc http://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/east-mediterranean-mena/israelpalestine/starving-gaza   Feb. 2024   Children are bearing the brunt of the horrors in Gaza. (ABC News)   The most dangerous place in the world to be a child. That devastating description is now being applied to Gaza by UNICEF as the true extent of the catastrophe of this war emerges.   That devastation is leading to one of the worst humanitarian crises of our time – where, for example, a nurse has had to perform emergency caesarean operations on six dead pregnant women to try to save their babies.   The horrors of Gaza are almost unspeakable. As difficult as all this is to read and to watch, it's important the world does not look away.   Rarely, if ever, have so many children been killed, injured or orphaned as quickly as in Gaza right now.   "The Gaza Strip is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child," says UNICEF's James Elder. "And day after day, that brutal reality is reinforced."   UNICEF has compiled a range of statistics from Gaza. It says that a Palestinian child is killed every 15 minutes. Thousands more are missing under rubble. One of every 10 children killed in Gaza did not make their first birthday. More than 1,000 children have lost one or both legs.   Save the Children estimates that more than 10 children a day are losing one or both legs — those having limbs amputated are having it done without anaesthetic.   According to UNICEF, there are now at least 19,000 orphans in Gaza and thousands who have lost one parent.   According to Gaza's Ministry of Health, at least 28,000 Palestinians have been killed — including 11,500 children.   Gaza has more children than almost anywhere else — 47.3 per cent of its population is under 18. The Health Ministry says there are at least 65,636 injured people in Gaza – of which 18,000 are children.   Israel's newspaper Haaretz ran the headline: "11,500 Children Have Been Killed in Gaza. Horror of This Scale Has No Explanation."   Entire neighbourhoods in Gaza have been destroyed. The City University of New York and Oregon State University have examined satellite images that show up to 175,000 of buildings have been destroyed or damaged. That's 61 per cent of all buildings.   The UN estimates that 80 per cent of the population — 1.75 million people — are now without anywhere to live.   Nobody can dispute Israel's right to respond to the October 7 atrocities. Any country would have responded had 1,200 people been tortured and murdered and 240 kidnapped.   But it's the dramatic lack of proportionality of the response that Israel will be asked to answer for in years to come.   News agencies report that between October 7 and December 15 Israel dropped 29,000 bombs on Gaza. Many of those 29,000 were 2,000-pound bombs – which can blow out windows as far as a kilometre way. That means, on average, 79 bombs per square kilometre.   When Vladimir Putin has dropped bombs as large as these on civilians in Ukraine the world branded this war crimes.   Israel insists it has tried to protect civilians by dropping leaflets from jets or sending text messages. But if Israel has tried to avoid civilian deaths then it has seriously failed.   UNICEF'S James Elder said there was now one toilet for every 700 people. In some places, people are defecating in the open.   "Diarrhoea cases in children are above 100,000. Acute respiratory illness cases in civilians are above 150,000. Both numbers will be gross under-counts of the woeful reality," said Elder.   "The Gaza strip has the worst level of malnutrition in the world. With malnutrition soaring among Gaza's children, diarrhoeal diseases are becoming deadly." Aid workers say that 135,000 children under two are now at risk of severe malnutrition. UNICEF says that 1.1 million children are unable to access humanitarian aid.   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-executive-director-catherine-russell-rafah-gaza http://www.unicef.org/emergencies/children-gaza-need-lifesaving-support http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-deputy-executive-director-ted-chaiban-upon-conclusion-his-visit http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-risk-famine-gaza-strip http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/barely-drop-drink-children-gaza-strip-do-not-access-90-cent-their-normal-water-use http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details-map/en/c/1156749/   http://www.wfp.org/stories/gaza-wfp-forced-pause-food-distributions-north-report-warns-worsening-crisis http://www.wfp.org/stories/humanitarian-operations-risk-conflict-strangles-gaza http://www.refugeesinternational.org/reports-briefs/siege-and-starvation-how-israel-obstructs-aid-to-gaza/ http://gisha.org/en/hunger-in-north-gaza-english/ http://www.acaps.org/en/countries/archives/detail/palestine-risk-of-famine-in-pockets-of-the-gaza-strip   http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/press-releases/catastrophic-hunger-crisis-declared-in-gaza-by-international-food-security-and-nutrition-experts/ http://www.mercycorps.org/press-room/releases/gaza-deaths-from-hunger http://www.oxfamamerica.org/explore/stories/lack-of-food-in-gaza-creating-risk-of-famine http://www.hi-us.org/en/gaza-humanitarian-agencies-respond-to-rafah-developments   12 Jan. 2024   Statement by Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and UN Emergency Relief Coordinator: The war in Gaza must end.   Three months since the horrific 7 October attacks in Israel, Gaza has become a place of death and despair.   Tens of thousands of people, mostly women and children, have been killed or injured. Families are sleeping in the open as temperatures plummet. Areas where civilians were told to relocate for their safety have come under bombardment. Medical facilities are under relentless attack. The few hospitals that are partially functional are overwhelmed with trauma cases, critically short of all supplies, and inundated by desperate people seeking safety.   A public health disaster is unfolding. Infectious diseases are spreading in overcrowded shelters as sewers spill over. Some 180 Palestinian women are giving birth daily amidst this chaos. People are facing the highest levels of food insecurity ever recorded. Famine is around the corner.   For children in particular, the past 12 weeks have been traumatic: No food. No water. No school. Nothing but the terrifying sounds of war, day in and day out.   Gaza has simply become uninhabitable. Its people are witnessing daily threats to their very existence – while the world watches on.   The humanitarian community has been left with the impossible mission of supporting more than 2 million people, even as its own staff are being killed and displaced, as communication blackouts continue, as roads are damaged and convoys are shot at, and as commercial supplies vital to survival are almost non-existent.   Meanwhile, rocket attacks on Israel continue, more than 120 people are still held hostage in Gaza, tensions in the West Bank are boiling, and the specter of further regional spillover of the war is looming dangerously close.   Hope has never been more elusive. Gaza has shown us the worst of humanity, as well as moments of great heroism. We have seen how violence cannot resolve differences, but only inflame passions and build new generations of danger and insecurity.   We continue to demand an immediate end to the war, not just for the people of Gaza and its threatened neighbors, but for the generations to come who will never forget these 90 days of hell and of assaults on the most basic precepts of humanity.   It is time for the parties to meet all their obligations under international law, including to protect civilians and meet their essential needs, and to release all hostages immediately.   It is time for the international community to use all its influence to make this happen. This war should never have started. But it’s long past time for it to end.   http://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-tells-security-council-take-urgent-action-end-war-gaza http://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-war-gaza-must-end http://www.unicef.org/mena/press-releases/statement-adele-khodr-unicef-regional-director-middle-east-and-north-africa-1 http://plan-international.org/news/2024/01/24/call-to-stop-arms-transfers-to-israel-palestinian-armed-groups/ http://www.hi-us.org/en/gaza-geneva-conventions-should-be-respected-and-applied http://www.savethechildren.net/news/gaza-10000-children-killed-nearly-100-days-war http://interagencystandingcommittee.org/inter-agency-standing-committee/statement-principals-inter-agency-standing-committee-we-cannot-abandon-people-gaza http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/unrwa-funding-cuts-threaten-palestinian-lives-gaza-and-region-say-ngos http://www.icrc.org/en/unga78-annual-statement-ihl   http://www.ohchr.org/en/media-centre/statements-grave-situation-occupied-palestinian-territory-and-israel http://www.ibanet.org/Middle-East-test-for-effectiveness-of-international-law-as-death-toll-mounts http://www.alternatives-humanitaires.org/en/2024/11/27/threats-to-international-humanitarian-law-in-ukraine-and-gaza/ http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2025/01/16/a-deadly-apathy-israel-palestine-shulman/ http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/atrocities-present-past-and-future-escalating-crimes-and-consequences-in-israel-and-occupied-palestine http://www.icct.nl/publication/interview-ben-saul-international-humanitarian-law-context-israel-gaza-crisis http://rabbis4ceasefire.com/statement-2/ http://www.btselem.org/press_releses/20240207_israel_based_civil_society_and_human_rights_organizations_call_for_a_ceasefire http://news.gallup.com/poll/642695/majority-disapprove-israeli-action-gaza.aspx   12/10/23   UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres: “Let me begin by expressing my utter condemnation of the abhorrent attacks by Hamas and others against Israeli towns and villages in Southern Israel, which have left over 1,200 Israelis dead and more than 3,000 injured” he said.   Mr. Guterres said that over 200 Israelis - civilians, including women, children and the elderly - have been captured by armed groups and are being held hostage inside the Gaza Strip.   Meanwhile, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad group have launched thousands of indiscriminate rockets that have reached central Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.   “Nothing can justify these acts of terror and the killing, maiming and abduction of civilians,” he said. “I reiterate my call to immediately cease these attacks and release all hostages.”   In the face of these unprecedented attacks, Israel has commenced military operations in Gaza.   “While I recognize Israel’s legitimate security concerns, I also remind Israel that military operations must be conducted in strict accordance with international humanitarian law.”   9 Oct. 2023   Horrific scenes of violence has left 1,200 people dead and over 2,000 people wounded in Israeli towns and villages near the Gaza Strip, amid rocket and armed attacks by armed Palestinian militants on October 7th.   At dawn, a Hamas-led operation launched thousands of rockets towards Israel from the Gaza Strip, and armed Hamas fighters entered Southern Israel and attacked a number of Israeli towns and settlements murdering hundreds of women and children, the elderly and unarmed civilians. Families were burned alive in their homes, shot while trying to flee, massacred en masse in brutal acts defined as war crimes under the Geneva Conventions. Hundreds of young people were murdered while attending a dance party in horrific scenes of brutality.   In response, Israeli authorities declared that the country is in a state of war and have launched a military operation with strikes on the Gaza strip by air, land and sea.   Tor Wennesland, the UN's Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process:   “I vehemently condemn this morning’s multi-front assault against Israeli towns and cities and the barrage of rockets reaching across central Israel by Hamas militants.. These events have resulted in horrific scenes of violence and many Israeli fatalities and injuries, with many believed to be kidnapped inside the Strip,” he said. “These are heinous attacks targeting civilians.”   UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk: “Civilians must never be the target of attack.. I am shocked and appalled that many Israelis have been killed and hundreds injured.”   Noting that Israeli forces have responded with airstrikes into the densely populated Gaza Strip, he called on them to “take all precautions to avoid civilian casualties there”.   Fabrizio Carboni, ICRC regional director for the Near and Middle East: “The images and reports we have seen this morning from Israel are utterly horrific. The violence directed against civilians is appalling and cannot be justified. If the situation continues to escalate, then civilians on both sides will suffer immensely.   “We are aware of reports relating to people being captured or detained. I want to make it clear that carrying out, or threatening to carry out, an act of hostage-taking is prohibited under international humanitarian law. Anyone detained must be treated humanely and with dignity.   “All parties must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law. This is non-negotiable. Civilians and civilian objects must be respected and protected".   http://www.icrc.org/en/document/israel-and-occupied-territories-icrc-calls-immediate-protection-civilians-after-horrific http://www.hrw.org/news/2024/07/17/october-7-crimes-against-humanity-war-crimes-hamas-led-groups http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/07/israel-opt-hamas-and-other-armed-groups-must-immediately-release-civilians-held-hostage-in-gaza/ http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67053011 http://www.who.int/europe/news/item/23-10-2023-shock-grief-and-the-challenge-of-healing-israel-health-system-responds-to-the-october-attacks http://news.un.org/en/story/2023/10/1142082 http://news.un.org/en/story/2023/10/1142012 http://theelders.org/news/2024-we-must-see-long-view-leadership http://www.unocha.org/latest/news-and-stories http://www.un.org/en/situation-in-occupied-palestine-and-israel Visit the related web page
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