Unesco awards World Press Freedom Prize to Palestinian journalists in Gaza
"In these times of darkness and hopelessness, we wish to share a strong message of solidarity and recognition to those Palestinian journalists who are covering this crisis in such dramatic circumstances," said Mauricio Weibel, chair of the international jury of media professionals.
Unesco has awarded its 2024 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize to all Palestinian journalists covering the war in Gaza.
The award ceremony took place on Thursday (2 May) in the margins of the World Press Freedom Conference in Santiago, Chile, reads an Unesco press statement.
"In these times of darkness and hopelessness, we wish to share a strong message of solidarity and recognition to those Palestinian journalists who are covering this crisis in such dramatic circumstances," said Mauricio Weibel, chair of the international jury of media professionals.
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"As humanity, we have a huge debt to their courage and commitment to freedom of expression."
Audrey Azoulay, director general at the UN organisation for education, science and culture, said the prize paid "tribute to the courage of journalists facing difficult and dangerous circumstances".
According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), at least 97 members of the press have been killed since the war broke out in October, 92 of whom were Palestinians.
The war started with Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
