Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That is absolutely extraordinary. A figure of 140 in ten years is absolutely shocking, but we are approaching close to that figure in the ten months of conflict in Gaza. Something about this conflict is particularly horrifying, especially for journalists and the media community. Ms Evans mentioned in her contribution statistics showing that 108 journalists have been killed. Other figures suggest the total is even higher.

I called for this session many months ago especially because of what is happening in Gaza. The treatment of the domestic and international media community by Israel and the IDF is what sparked this conversation. That is why I think it is important that we talk about what is happening in Gaza, as well as Ukraine. There are 108 dead journalists, most of whom are Palestinian. Of the tens of thousands of innocent civilians who have been massacred by the Israelis and the IDF, it is shocking that 108 have been journalists. As I said, many more have been injured. We hear of the targeting of journalists by the Israeli army. We hear that the international media have essentially been banned from entering Israel. That is shocking and a disgrace. We hear that domestic and international journalists are facing assaults, attacks, intimidation and cyberattacks. The condition that all international media workers must be accompanied by the IDF is an absolute disgrace. How are we supposed to get impartial, independent and accurate coverage of what is happening in the region if journalists are being guided and told where they cannot go and, perhaps, where they can go? It is ludicrous. As was rightly pointed out, it leaves the situation open to propaganda.

Senator Cassells is right. We rely on the print media and TV and radio for accurate information. The only reliable information we have been able to get for a long period of this conflict has been on social media. Journalists stayed behind and were able to get out messages about what was happening. This was the only way that we in Ireland, in many instances, were able to get accurate pictures of the shocking and horrific scenes we were seeing on the streets of Gaza. I thank those brave men and women who put their lives at risk to paint those pictures and get those messages back to us, because we would not have the full picture if that had not happened.

I pose this question mainly to Mr. Dawson, but also to Ms Joris and Ms Evans. What will be the risks if Israel and the IDF are not held to account in terms of access for journalists and the way they are being treated? What would be the risks for conflict coverage going forward if we do not tackle this issue? We are not doing so. Israel has not been held to account for the actions it is taking in Gaza and the massacre there. Nor is it being held to account for the way journalists are being treated. If Israel gets away with this and no one is held to account, what will be the risks for coverage of other conflicts in future?

Finally, what more as a State and Government can we do? This conflict is still ongoing. As of last week, many more people have been massacred and killed in the Gaza area. What more can we do to ensure that journalists get access and are protected, free from harassment and targeted killings, that their families are free from being targeted and that they are free from cyberattacks? What more can we do? That is what this session is all about. What can we do to help the international media community?