Major media say Gaza staff face starvation as US envoy prepares to host ceasefire talks

     Tel Aviv, Jul 24 (AP) Four leading news organisations said Thursday their journalists in Gaza are facing the threat of starvation as the Israel-Hamas war grinds on, while top US envoy Steve Witkoff was to meet with key negotiators from the Middle East for talks on the latest ceasefire proposal and the release of hostages.
     “We are desperately concerned for our journalists in Gaza, who are increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families,” said a joint statement by The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Reuters and the BBC. “For many months, these independent journalists have been the world's eyes and ears on the ground in Gaza. They are now facing the same dire circumstances as those they are covering.”
     The statement called on Israel to allow journalists in and out of Gaza and allow adequate food supplies into the territory.
     The statement came a day after more than 100 charity and human rights groups said that Israel's blockade and ongoing military offensive are pushing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip toward starvation.
     Israel has barred international media from entering Gaza independently throughout the 21-month war.
     Israel's war in Gaza, launched in response to Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack, has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians, but the ministry says that more than half of the dead are women and children. (AP) NPK
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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)