October 21, 2024- Today, Representative James P. McGovern (D-MA), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, led 64 of his colleagues in calling on the Biden Administration to push for Israel to allow American and international journalists unimpeded access to Gaza.

Americans for Peace Now strongly supports Representative McGovern and his colleague’s push for increased press access to Gaza, which amplifies a call from over 70 media and civil society organizations from this past July.

As the Members wrote, “The absence of foreign media reporting has created significant challenges in obtaining accurate, verifiable information from Gaza, leading to increased skepticism about the limited reports that do emerge. At a time when reliable information is more critical than ever, the restrictions on independent reporting undermine the very foundation of press freedom and democratic accountability.”

APN President and CEO Hadar Susskind said: “Just last week the Biden Administration wrote to the Israeli government urging them to surge humanitarian aid into Gaza. Yet, without access for press, it is impossible to know what is actually happening in Gaza. US laws require that recipients of US military aid adhere to international and US human rights laws. Without the transparency that comes with freedom of the press, Americans can’t know how our taxpayer money is being used and whether the law is being followed.”