The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) joined five other press freedom and human rights organizations on Wednesday in calling on U.S. President Joe Biden to act immediately and decisively to promote the conditions for safe and unrestricted reporting amid hostilities between Israeli forces and Palestinian and Lebanese armed groups.
The Israel-Gaza war has taken a severe toll on journalists since Hamas launched its unprecedented attack against Israel on October 7, and Israel declared war on the militant Palestinian group, launching military operations in the blockaded Gaza Strip. As of January 10, 79 journalists and media workers were confirmed dead, including 72 Palestinian, 4 Israeli, and 3 Lebanese.