Dozens of news organization leaders from across the world, including the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Reuters, have joined an open letter affirming their solidarity with journalists reporting in Gaza.

The letter, coordinated by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) with the support of the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), demonstrates strong and unified support for colleagues reporting from Gaza in the deadliest conflict for journalists ever documented by CPJ.

The letter goes on to remind the international community that journalists are civilians and authorities must protect journalists as noncombatants according to international law. 

The signatories include outlets from Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, India, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Additional signatories are welcome. Please contact letter@cpj.org to add your news organization, including name of signatory, title, and name of organization.

Open letter on journalists in Gaza 

We, the undersigned, stand united with Palestinian journalists in their call for safety, protection, and the freedom to report.

For nearly five months, journalists and media workers in Gaza – overwhelmingly, the sole source of on-the-ground reporting from within the Palestinian territory – have been working in unprecedented conditions: at least 89 have been killed in the war, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, more journalists than have ever been killed in a single country over an entire year.

These journalists – on whom the international news media and the international community rely  for information about the situation inside Gaza – continue to report despite grave personal risk. They continue despite the loss of family, friends, and colleagues, the destruction of homes and offices, constant displacement, communications blackouts, and shortages of food and fuel.  

Journalists are civilians and Israeli authorities must protect journalists as noncombatants according to international law. Those responsible for any violations of that longstanding protection should be held accountable. Attacks on journalists are also attacks on truth. We commit to championing the safety of journalists in Gaza, which is fundamental for the protection of press freedom everywhere.

Signatories 

1. Kim Godwin, President, ABC NEWS
2. Phil Chetwynd, Global News Director, Agence France-Presse
3. Hossam Kanafani, Editor in Chief, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed
4. Nora Younis, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Al-Manassa, Egypt
5. Alaa al Ghatrevy, Editor in Chief, Al Masry Al Youm, Egypt
6. Ghassan Hajjar, Managing Editor, An-Nahar, Lebanon
7. Rawan Damen, Director General, ARIJ (Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism)
8. Stefano Corradino, Director, Articolo21, Italy
9. Shiro Nakamura, President, The Asahi Shimbun, Japan
10. Nicole Dungca, President, Asian American Journalists Association, United States
11. Julie Pace, Executive Editor, Associated Press
12. Simon Spanswick, Chief Executive, Association for International Broadcasting
13. Nancy Prager-Kamel, Chairperson, Association of Foreign Press Correspondents, United States 
14. Deborah Turness, CEO, BBC News
15. Hikmet Adal, Editor, Bianet, Turkey
16.  Ingrid Ciprián-Matthews, President, CBS News 
17. Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO, CNN Worldwide
18. Daoud Kuttab, Director General, Community Media Network, Jordan
19. Branko Brkic, Editor in Chief, Daily Maverick, South Africa
20. Alia Ibrahim, Co-founder and CEO, Daraj, Lebanon
21. Dirk Kurbjuweit, Editor in Chief, Der Spiegel, Germany
22. Barbara Junge, Editor in Chief, Die Tageszeitung, Germany
23. Ulrike Winkelmann, Editor in Chief, Die Tageszeitung, Germany
24. Khaled Elbalshy, President, Egyptian Journalists Syndicate 
25. Mohamed Saad Abdel Hafiz, Egyptian Journalists Syndicate / Managing Editor, Al-Shorouk, Egypt
26. Patrick Mayoyo, Director Editorial Innovations, Eyewitness Africa, Kenya
27. Roula Khalaf, Editor, Financial Times, UK
28. Laurent Richard, Founder and Executive Director, Forbidden Stories, France
29. Giuseppe Di Maula, Editor in Chief, FotosIntensi, Italy
30. Laurie Hays, Editor in Chief/CEO, The Fuller Project
31. Katharine Viner, Editor in Chief, The Guardian, UK
32. Julia Montfort, Editor in Chief, Guiti News, France
33. Aluf Benn, Editor in Chief, Haaretz
34. Marc Saikali, Chairperson, Ici Beyrouth and This is Beirut, Lebanon
35. Geordie Grieg, Editor in Chief, The Independent, UK
36. Elena Cosentino, Director, International News Safety Institute, UK
37. Sandy Prieto-Romualdez, Chairperson, Inquirer Group of Companies, Philippines
38. Deirdre Veldon, Managing Director, The Irish Times, Ireland
39. Rachel Corp, Chief Executive, ITN, UK
40. Andrew Dagnell, Editor, ITV News, UK
41. Amir Rotem, Editor in Chief, Local Call
42. Terry Tang, Interim Executive Editor, Los Angeles Times
43. Mohammed Al-Fazari, CEO and Editor in Chief, Muwatin Media Network  
44. Rameeza Nizami, Managing Director, Nawaiwaqt Group, Pakistan
45. Pamella Sittoni, Group Managing Editor, Nation Media Group, Kenya
46. Yvette Cabrera, President, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, United States 
47. Rebecca Blumenstein, President, Editorial, NBC News
48. Ebele Okobi, CEO, The New Humanitarian
49. David Remnick, Editor, The New Yorker 
50. AG Sulzberger, Publisher, The New York Times 
51. Edith Chapin, SVP and Editor in Chief, NPR, United States
52. Maha Al Bahnasawi, Managing Director, ONA Media Services, Egypt
53. Martha Ramos, President, World Editors Forum / Chief Editorial Officer, Organización Editorial Mexicana, Mexico
54. Amalie Kestler, Managing Editor in Chief, Politiken, Denmark
55. Hans Väre, Editor in Chief, Postimees Grupp, Estonia
56. Alan Rusbridger, Editor, Prospect magazine, UK
57. Lara Bitar, Editor in Chief, The Public Source, Lebanon
58. Ritu Kapur, CEO, The Quint, India
59. Maria Ressa, CEO and Co-Founder, Rappler, Philippines
60. Alessandra Galloni, Editor in Chief, Reuters, UK
61. Ayman Mhanna, Executive Director, Samir Kassir Foundation, Lebanon
62. Kamal Siriwardana, Editor in Chief, SMN24Media, Sri Lanka
63. Nwabisa Makunga, Editor in Chief, The Sowetan, South Africa
64. Ramsey G. Tesdell, CEO, Sowt Media, Jordan
65. Esther Ng, Chief Content Officer, Star Media Group Berhad, Malaysia
66. Wolfgang Krach, Editor in Chief, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany
67. Wafaa Haidar, Director, Tele Liban, Lebanon  
68. Anne Marie Owens, Editor in Chief, Toronto Star, Canada
69. Lyas Hallas, Co-founder and CEO, Twala, Algeria
70. Fernando Belzunce, Editorial Director, Vocento, Spain
71. Assaad Maroun, Chairperson and General Manager, Voice of Lebanon
72. Sally Buzbee, Executive Editor, The Washington Post
73. Vincent Peyrègne, CEO, World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA)
74. Ghousoon Bisharat, Editor in Chief, +972 Magazine