Stop killing! We, Journalist Club for Liberty of Japan, demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza

The Israeli attack on Gaza, which began in October 2023, has already resulted in the deaths of more than 28,000 people.

Moreover, as the video shows, most of the victims are civilians, including children, and it is a genocide.

According to Reporters Without Borders, at least 84 journalists have been killed in the past four months.

The crisis of the free press is also a crisis of democracy and human rights.

We know that the Israeli-Palestinian rift has been created over a long history and is not something that can be easily resolved,

However, we cannot stand idly by and watch the ongoing tragedy.

We urge the parties involved to do the following three things:

1. Israel must stop its attacks on Gaza. Israel and Hamas must call a ceasefire immediately.

2. The Japanese government must withdraw its suspension of funding to UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees), recognize the Palestinian state, and make a greater effort to ensure that the Israeli and Palestinian people can live together peacefully.

3. The UN Security Council should take the necessary measures to implement the Security Council resolution providing for the protection of the press in armed conflicts.

February 15, 2024

Journalist Club for Liberty

Koyama Osahito, Representative Director