A National Union of Journalists (NUJ) branch has delivered a letter to the Prime Minister demanding answers on journalists killed in Gaza ahead of a vigil outside Downing Street.
NUJâs London Freelance branch asked what steps the Government is taking to ensure surviving Palestinian journalists can continue reporting in Gaza, and how it will support an International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation âinto the blatant targeting of journalists and media workers by Israeli forcesâ.
Branch representatives were photographed outside Number 10 delivering the letter ahead of its vigil on Wednesday evening.
Members at the gathering were to hold cards remembering the journalists confirmed killed by Israel in Gaza, and read out their names.
At least 189 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since the renewal of hostilities in October 2023, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
Israel denies deliberately targeting reporters and has accused some of the journalists killed of being âterroristsâ.
Speaking outside Number 10 on Wednesday, Pennie Quinton, chairwoman of the branch, said: âToday I presented a letter with my colleagues Mike Holderness and Mariam Elsayeh, of the London Freelance branch, to Prime Minister Keir Starmer calling for more than just words on the killing of our colleagues, our journalist colleagues, in Gaza.
âWe are calling for justice, for an independent investigation, and for international journalists to be allowed into Gaza to work alongside their Gazan colleagues and to bring the truth of whatâs happening in Gaza out.â
Foreign media have been banned from entering Gaza since October 2023, other than for brief, tightly controlled trips escorted by the Israeli military.
The NUJ branch, which represents more than 3,000 freelance journalists, asked Sir Keir how the Government is working to ensure non-Palestinian reporters can enter Gaza and report freely without Israelâs supervision.
It also questioned what the Government is doing to allow people in the region to have âimmediate safe access to food, water and necessary equipmentâ.
The letter addressed to the Prime Minister, signed by Ms Quinton and co-signed by others, started with: âLondon Freelance Branch of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) welcomes your statement on August 11 2025 that you are âgravely concernedâ by the killing on 10 August of six journalists by the state of Israel and your Governmentâs call for an independent investigation.â
Prominent Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif and his colleague Mohamed Qreiqeh were among those killed in the attack while sheltering outside the Shifa Hospital.
Israelâs military described Mr al-Sharif as the leader of a Hamas cell, an allegation that Al Jazeera and Mr al-Sharif had previously dismissed as baseless.
Another five journalists were among 20 people killed in a double strike on Nasser Hospital on August 25.
The journalists killed included those working for The Associated Press, Al Jazeera, Reuters and UK-based media outlet Middle East Eye.
The Israeli military claimed it was targeting a Hamas surveillance camera.
However, the first strike killed a cameraman from the Reuters news agency doing a live television shot, according to witnesses and health officials.
The more than 22-month conflict is the deadliest period for journalists since CPJ started gathering data in 1992.
In the letter to Sir Keir, the branch emphasised NUJ general secretary Laura Davisonâs statement which said: âThat the Israeli military openly admits to these atrocities brings into sharp focus the need for international action to end this impunity.
âWe once again reiterate our call for the UK government, who claim to be committed to press freedom, to exert serious pressure to protect journalists, uphold international law and support an investigation by the International Criminal Court into the blatant targeting of journalists and media workers by Israeli forces.
âThere must be immediate international action to end this obscene behaviour.â
