Professional photo and video journalists working in the Gaza war zone have been collectively awarded WAN-Ifra’s Golden Pen of Freedom for 2026.

The presentation is to be made tomorrow Monday June 1, at the opening of the World News Media Congress in Marseille, France.

It acknowledges the sacrifice and endurance of local Palestinian media professionals living and working in a war zone, and recognises colleagues injured and killed in the course of doing their job.

“For more than two-and-a half years, journalists in Gaza have recorded death, destruction, and human suffering in unparalleled terms,” reads the award citation. “They are as much victims of the conflict as they are chroniclers of a war that erupted – and continues – around them.”

Since the outbreak of war on October 7, 2023, more than 260 journalists have been killed, the vast majority in Gaza, with research by the Committee to Protect Journalists indicating that at least 64 of these were deliberately targeted by Israeli military forces.

Foreign media have largely been prevented from entering Gaza, unless under strict Israeli military supervision, and the burden of reporting the impact of the war – and the ensuing humanitarian crisis – has fallen on Palestinian journalists in Gaza.

“There is no replacing brave, independent journalism,” said David Walmsley, editor-in-chief of Canada’s Globe and Mail and president of the World Editors Forum, “and there can be no replacement for journalists who day in, day out get the images out, often at appalling costs,.

“The photo and video journalists of Gaza brought the world's attention to a story that would otherwise have been suppressed.”

The citation says wider understanding of the war had “been shaped by reliance on their sacrifice, dedication, and professionalism in desperate circumstances. Their work has fuelled coverage of the devastation of Gaza and its people that has reached around the globe; their documentation will remain a visual testimony.”

The award will be received by representatives of the three main international news agencies operating in Gaza – Agence France-Presse, Associated Press, and Reuters.

As part of the presentation, WAN-Ifra will host an exhibition showcasing award-winning photographers whose work has informed global understanding of the war in Gaza. The Congress programme will also include a screening of the award-winning film ‘Inside Gaza’ the following day (June 2), followed by a discussion on lessons learned.

WAN-Ifra’s Media Freedom division has a longstanding commitment to supporting Palestinian colleagues, with its Social Impact Reporting Initiative showcasing public-interest journalism, and providing grants, mentoring and editorial support.

In Gaza, this has been implemented with the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate and supported by the IFJ, focussing on freelance women journalists who have become the backbone of reporting in Gaza.

SIRI Gaza combines reporting grants with intensive editorial mentorship, training in gender-sensitive storytelling, and access to safe workspaces and essential infrastructure. Since 2024, 60 freelance women journalists have been supported.

A current round of SIRI Gaza is underway, supporting an additional 30 freelance women journalists.

The Golden Pen of Freedom has been awarded since 1961; last year it went to the Independent Press of Ukraine.

Pictured: Palestinian journalists seek an internet connection in Rafah on the southern Gaza Strip in 2023 (Photo Said Khatib/AFP)