International Journalists Should Be Allowed into Gaza, Says US State Department

The US State Department stated on Wednesday that international journalists should be permitted entry into Gaza and that the issue had been raised with Israeli authorities. Spokesman Matt Miller confirmed that the United States had addressed the matter at a senior level to ensure journalists could operate within Gaza.

"We believe that journalists should be able to cover the war in Gaza, including those from outside the region. There is much the world needs to know about what's happening in Gaza, and the work of journalists is crucial in revealing these unprecedented events," Miller told reporters. "I support the work of journalists and believe it should be allowed in Gaza," he added.

According to the Palestinian Prisoner Society, there are currently 49 journalists in Israeli custody. Official figures report that at least 147 journalists and media professionals have been killed in Israeli shelling since October 7.

Despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate halt to attacks in the Gaza Strip following the October 7 Hamas attacks, Israel continues its military operations. Health officials report that more than 36,580 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, mostly women and children, with over 83,000 injured.

The ongoing Israeli war has left Gaza in dire straits, with severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine. Accusations of genocide have been leveled against Israel at the International Court of Justice, which recently ordered an immediate cessation of operations in Rafah, a southern city where over 1 million Palestinians have sought refuge.