Speaking at the opening of the UN International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East 2024, UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the rising death toll among journalists in Gaza amid ongoing conflict, calling for immediate protections for press freedom.

Guterres highlighted the alarming number of journalists killed since the conflict's escalation on October 7, 2023, calling this an "unacceptable" trend that stifles the truth and limits the public's access to information.

“Journalists in Gaza have been killed at a level unseen in any conflict,” Guterres said in a statement read at the seminar, expressing particular concern over restrictions preventing international reporters from accessing Gaza, further restricting coverage of the crisis. He also referenced the deteriorating conditions in the West Bank, where escalating military operations and intensified settler violence have exacerbated instability.

Emphasizing the need for a two-state solution, Guterres renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, alongside the unconditional release of all hostages and a commitment to ensuring humanitarian aid. (ILKHA)