Press freedom groups call for EU to sanction Israel over media rights 'abuses'

A number of press freedom groups have called on the EU to sanction Israeli officials over repeated violations of media rights in the occupied Palestinian territories.

In a letter addressed to EU diplomat Josep Borrell and the European Commission's executive vice president, Valdis Dombrovskis, the rights groups - including the International Press Institute (IPI), Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Free Press Unlimited (FPU) - said action needed to be taken over the repeated violations.

“These are part of widespread and systematic abuses committed by Israeli authorities in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel, and elsewhere, as documented or acknowledged by Israeli, Palestinian and international NGOs, UN experts, the International Court of Justice, and in a request for arrest warrants by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court,” the letter said.

“These violations should trigger the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and further EU targeted sanctions against those responsible."

Since October 2023, there have been more than 120 Palestinian journalists and media workers killed by Israel in Gaza.