Sixty international organisations have written to  European Commission Vice-President Josep Borrell and Executive Vice-President Valdis  Dombrovskis requesting the EU to take action against the Israeli authorities’ unprecedented killing of journalists and other violations of media freedom, in contravention of Israel’s obligations.

The organisations, representing journalists, press freedom and free expression issues, and human rights, said the violations were part of widespread and systematic abuses committed by Israeli authorities in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel, and elsewhere, documented or acknowledged by Israeli, Palestinian and international NGOs, UN experts, the International Court of Justice, and in a request for arrest warrants by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

The NGOs said these violations should trigger the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and further targeted EU sanctions against those responsible.

“Regrettably, the EU 27 governments are yet to unanimously acknowledge, attribute, and condemn the Israeli forces’ crimes in Gaza.”

The NGOs added: “Since 7 October 2023, when fighters led by Hamas’ armed wing carried out numerous and coordinated attacks on civilians and hostage-taking in Israel, the Netanyahu administration has taken an unprecedented series of steps to curtail media freedom that has effectively resulted in the establishment of a censorship regime.”

The NGOs, including a number of organisations in Europe campaigning for press freedom, such as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) have recorded the killings of more than 100 Palestinian journalists and media workers in Gaza, as well as two Israeli and three Lebanese journalists, since 7 October.

“This makes it the deadliest period for journalists in the decades that these organisations have been gathering data.”

The organisations pointed out that “the decimation and displacement of Gaza’s press corps has meant that fewer local journalists are left to report on the hostilities in Gaza”.

The latest death toll stands at 41,047 Palestinians and 1,139 people killed in Israel since 7 October.

Apart from the unprecedented killing of journalists, they raised issues such as the ban on independent media access to Gaza, record-high arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, censorship, allegations of torture and mistreatment, and failure to investigate or hold perpetrators to account.

“Journalists play an indispensable role in documenting and reporting on war crimes and other human rights violations. The cumulative effect of these abuses is to create the conditions for an information void, as well as for propaganda and mis- and disinformation.

While Israel contends that its actions are to keep its people safe, history shows that censorship and denial of the right to information is a flawed path to peace or security,” the organisations said.

They called for the suspension of the Israel / EU Association Agreement on the basis that it has violated international human rights and criminal law and for the adoption of targeted sanctions against those responsible.

The organisations recommended Israel upholds the freedom to report, protect the lives of journalists, ensure accountability and end impunity.