DaysofPal- The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, has called for international journalists to be granted access to Gaza, warning that disinformation continues to be used as a tool to deflect attention from atrocities in the war-torn enclave.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Lazzarini described Gaza as a “battlefield of a fierce and rampant information war,” noting that media distortion remains widespread.
He said UNRWA was among the first to be targeted, followed by other UN agencies, media outlets, and health institutions.
He cited the denial of famine in Gaza as one of the latest examples of disinformation, along with findings released this week by a UN independent commission of inquiry that concluded Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in the territory.
According to Lazzarini, such denial is aimed at undermining the assessments of international experts while promoting narratives that “deny atrocities and dehumanize Palestinians.”
He praised the “heroic work” of Palestinian journalists who continue reporting under dire conditions as Israeli military operations intensify.
However, he stressed that the international press must also be allowed into Gaza to ensure independent coverage.
“The time has come to allow international journalists into Gaza to support their Palestinian colleagues before their voices, too, are silenced. It is time for independent coverage of the events,” Lazzarini said.
Gaza has been under strict restrictions on foreign media access since the beginning of the Israeli genocidal war that claimed the lives of over 65000 Palestinian people and injured over 160 thousand, with local reporters bearing the brunt of documenting destruction and casualties amid escalating Israeli bombardment of civilians in Gaza.
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