UNESCO Awards Freedom of Press Prize to Palestinian Journalists in Gaza

On Thursday, UNESCO awarded its Freedom of Press Prize to all Palestinian journalists in the Gaza Strip covering the ongoing war for more than six months between Israel and Hamas. Mauricio Feibel, the chair of the international media jury, stated: "In such dark and desperate times, we wish to share a strong message of solidarity and recognition with Palestinian journalists covering this crisis under such tragic circumstances." He added, "As humans, we owe a deep debt of gratitude for their courage and commitment to freedom of expression." Audrey Azoulay, the Director-General of UNESCO, said the award "honors the bravery of journalists facing difficult and dangerous conditions." According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 97 journalists have been killed since the outbreak of the war, including 92 Palestinians.