Blinken says Gaza journalists must be 'protected from harm'

The United States will always insist on the need to protect journalists reporting from Gaza during the conflict between Israel and Hamas militants, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a letter to AFP on Tuesday.

AFP and other international media groups had written to Blinken in late October urging his help in protecting journalists on the ground in Gaza after several were killed since the outbreak of fighting.

"The United States has and will continue to underscore with Israel, and with all countries, that journalists must be protected from harm," Blinken wrote.

"We stand unequivocally for the protection of journalists during armed conflict and mourn those who have been killed or injured." 

Since the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas began in October, at least 63 journalists and media workers – 56 Palestinian, four Israeli and three Lebanese – have been killed, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

AFP and the other media groups also urged Blinken's help in evacuating their employees from Gaza as Israeli bombards the territory in retaliation for the attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli figures, and saw around 240 hostages taken.

Israel imposed a total shutdown of the territory's borders on Oct. 9.

"US citizens' and foreign nationals' continued safe passage out of Gaza remains our top priority, and we are working with Egypt, the UN, and Israel to facilitate their ability to exit Gaza safely," Blinken wrote.

Around 100 French lawmakers mainly from left-wing parties on Monday sent a letter to Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne also calling for all possible efforts to secure the exit of AFP journalists stranded in Gaza.

The Hamas-run health ministry on Tuesday updated its death toll since the Gaza war began to 18,412 people, mostly women and children.