(MENAFN) Italian press unions and advocacy organizations on Wednesday urged the Italian government and the EU to pressure Israel to allow international journalists into Gaza, highlighting concerns over access and press restrictions.

At a press conference held at the Foreign Press Association in Rome, representatives from the National Federation of Italian Press (FNSI), the National Council of the Order of Journalists (ODG), and the Justice and Peace in the Middle East group called for an end to the blockade preventing media entry into Gaza, as well as press restrictions in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Gianni Giovannetti of Justice and Peace in the Middle East recalled that nearly 300 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the start of Israeli attacks on October 7, 2023, stressing, “We believe that killing journalists means killing the truth.” He emphasized that facilitating media access is fundamentally a matter of upholding the right to information.

FNSI Secretary-General Alessandra Costante added that independent verification of reports from journalists who died in Gaza is urgently needed. Palestinian journalist Al Hassan Selmi, speaking via video from Gaza, said that following the ceasefire on October 10, Israeli forces have increasingly targeted journalists, gathering them in one place and causing more deaths among media personnel.

Giovannetti told Anadolu that international media presence in Gaza is now “more essential than ever,” explaining that it is critical to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire and document steps toward a demilitarized peace. He noted that their appeal also seeks to draw global attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

According to the Gaza Government Media Office, Israel has carried out 282 ceasefire violations since the truce, including 12 incursions into residential areas, 124 strikes, and 52 bombing operations against civilian buildings, resulting in 242 deaths and over 620 injuries.

The current ceasefire, based on a 20-point plan by US President Donald Trump, began on October 10. Phase one of the agreement includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, as well as plans for Gaza’s reconstruction and the establishment of a new governing structure excluding Hamas.

Reports indicate that Israeli military operations since October 2023 have caused more than 69,000 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, with over 170,000 injured and large areas of Gaza rendered uninhabitable, according to local health authorities.

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