Reuters says very worried about Gaza stringers after AFP call for evacuation

Reacting to an AFP statement, Reuters told The Baron it was, “Deeply concerned about the health and safety of its freelancers in Gaza, with whom we are in daily contact.”

A Reuters spokesperson added: “The extreme difficulty sourcing food is leading to their and all Gaza residents experiencing greater levels of hunger and illness.”

It said the agency was giving the stringers additional financial support and would provide every possible assistance if they wanted to get out of Gaza, which is blockaded by Israel.

The United Nations and aid organisations have said for months that the territory is on the brink of widespread famine and that people are already starving. Israel denies it is responsible for food shortages in Gaza and blames the U.N.and Hamas. 

Reuters, like AFP, evacuated its staffers from Gaza previously and Israel prevents international journalists from entering the territory. Gaza has been devastated by Israeli bombing and ground attacks that have killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians following attacks on Israel by Hamas in October 2023 that killed 1,200 people.

Agence France Press and its journalists union said in statements two days ago that their stringers in Gaza were too weak from lack of food to work and must be evacuated or they could die of starvation.

The SDJ union said: “Without immediate intervention, the last reporters in Gaza will die”. It added:  “Since AFP was founded in 1944, we have lost journalists in conflicts, some have been injured, others taken prisoner. But none of us can ever remember seeing colleagues die of hunger.”

Palestinian officials say dozens are dying of hunger in the narrow strip of territory. A total of 101 people are known to have died of hunger during the conflict. Food stocks have run out since Israel cut off all supplies in March and then lifted that blockade in May with new measures it says are needed to prevent aid from being diverted to militant groups. But an estimated 1,000 people have been killed trying to get aid under this system.  ■