Over 50 US, UK journalists call on Israel to allow 'free access to Gaza'

More than 50 broadcast journalists representing major news outlets in the US and the UK sent an open letter to the Israeli and Egyptian embassies in London, calling for "free and unfettered access to Gaza."

The 55 journalists who signed the letter, working in British outlets such as the BBC, Sky News, ITV, and UK's Channel 4, as well as American outlets CNN, ABC, NBC, and CBS, also demanded "better protection" for journalists in the area.

The journalists who signed the letter include CNN's Christiane Amanpour and chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward.

The journalists' letter sent to Israel, Egypt

"Almost five months into the war in Gaza, foreign reporters are still being denied access to the territory, outside of the rare and escorted trips with the Israeli military," the letter read. "We urge the governments of Israel and Egypt to allow free and unfettered access to Gaza for all foreign media.

The letter also called on Egypt to allow the passage of journalists into the Gaza Strip from the Rafah Crossing.

"There is intense global interest in the events in Gaza, and for now, the only reporting has come from journalists who were already based there. It is vital that local journalists’ safety is respected and that their efforts are bolstered by the journalism of members of the international media. The need for comprehensive on-the-ground reporting of the conflict is imperative."

Sky News' Alex Crawford: 'Never been a fan of army embeds'

Sky News' Alex Crawford, also signed onto the letter, wrote in an op-ed published this morning that "there is still no access to foreign journalists," despite the IDF having embedded journalists from both Israeli and international news outlets along with its forces throughout the war.

Crawford further claims in her piece that "access has been excessively limited...I have never been a fan of embeds with any army.

"It is also the only absolute way of finding out most accurately what is the truth," Crawford wrote. "And in a world of misinformation, disinformation, false and malicious use of images and 'alternative truths,' it is the most effective way of nailing a lie."