President Trump said on Thursday that he would like to see foreign journalists granted access to the Gaza Strip by Israel.
“I’d like to see that happen, sure,” the president told reporters at the White House.
“I would be very fine with journalists going. And it’s a very dangerous position to be in, as you know, if you’re a journalist, but I would like to see it,” Trump added.
Israel has faced criticism for objecting to figures released by Hamas-run centers in Gaza and not allowing international reporters into the war-torn enclave. So far, foreign reporters can, at times, access Gaza, but only when being escorted by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Israeli officials have cited security reasons for limiting reporters’ access to Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a press conference on Sunday that he plans to allow more journalists into the Gaza Strip.
“We have decided and have ordered, directed the military to bring in foreign journalists, more foreign journalists, a lot,” Netanyahu said, according to Agence France-Presse.
“There’s a problem with assuring security, but I think it can be done in a way that is responsible and careful to preserve your own safety,” the Israeli leader added.
Trump’s remarks on Thursday come just days after an Israeli military strike killed journalists Anas al-Sharif, Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, Moamen Aliwa and Mohammed Al-Khaldi.
The IDF has claimed that al-Sharif and others were closely linked to Hamas, a Palestinian militant group designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government, accusations that were strongly denied by Qatar-based outlet.
