U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday his support for Israel allowing journalists to enter the Gaza Strip.
In response to a question about whether he would pressure Israel to permit journalists to go to Gaza to report on Washington’s humanitarian efforts in the war-torn territory, Trump said, “I’d like to see that happen. I’d be very happy to see journalists go inside.”
He added, “It’s a very dangerous situation, as you know, if you’re a journalist, but I’d like to see that.”
Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he had ordered the military to allow more foreign journalists into Gaza. Speaking to reporters in Jerusalem, he said the media needs to witness Israel’s efforts to allow humanitarian aid to reach Gaza’s residents.
Foreign journalists have been barred from entering Gaza since the beginning of the war unless they are “accompanied” by the Israeli military. Local journalists have been limited to covering field events and have only been able to report from specific areas.
International media outlets rely on local journalists in Gaza to cover the war that Israel has been waging for the past 22 months.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 230 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza since the start of the Israeli war.
On October 7, 2023, the Palestinian group Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel, resulting in the deaths of around 1,200 people and the capture of more than 250 hostages taken to Gaza.
Since then, more than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed in the territory, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. International organizations such as the United Nations consider these figures largely credible.
The ministry also reports that more than 1,850 people have been killed while trying to obtain humanitarian aid during the war.