Professional photo and video journalists working in Gaza will be honored with the 2026 Golden Pen of Freedom press freedom award for their life-risking coverage of the ongoing war, WAN-IFRA announced [1, 2]. The award recognizes the efforts of local Palestinian media professionals who have endured extreme dangers to document the conflict.
Representatives of global news agencies AFP, Associated Press, and Reuters—still operating in Gaza—will receive the award on behalf of their local journalists persisting in hazardous conditions [1, 2]. The ceremony will take place from June 1 to 3, 2026, at the WAN-IFRA World News Media Congress in Marseille, France [1, 2].
Since the Hamas militant group attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, triggering the Gaza war and Israel's military campaign, Gaza journalists have chronicled widespread death, destruction, and human suffering around them, WAN-IFRA said: "They are as much victims of the conflict as they are chroniclers" [1]. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reports over 72,800 deaths in Gaza due to the campaign [1].
More than 220 journalists have been killed in the conflict according to media rights groups, with at least 70 killed while performing their professional duties; the Israeli military denies deliberately targeting journalists [1]. Another source, the Committee to Protect Journalists, reports over 260 journalists killed since the conflict began, mostly in Gaza, with at least 64 reportedly deliberately targeted by Israeli forces [2]. Foreign journalists remain barred by Israel from independently entering Gaza [1, 2].
The war and blockade have trapped many Gaza journalists, forcing them to report despite losing homes and loved ones under extraordinary conditions [2]. WAN-IFRA partners with the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate and supports initiatives promoting gender sensitivity and inclusivity among war reporters, such as "SIRI Gaza" [2].
The award ceremony will showcase an exclusive exhibition of the winning photographers’ work and feature a special screening of the documentary "Inside Gaza," directed by Hélène Lam Trong [2]. David Walmsley, Editor-in-Chief of The Globe and Mail and WAN-IFRA World Editors Forum Chair, stated: "No one can replace the brave, independent reporting or the journalists who risk so much day after day to deliver these images" [2].
AFP photographer Mohammed Abed left Gaza to join AFP’s Cairo bureau in April 2024, reflecting the challenges faced by journalists in the region [1].
The Golden Pen of Freedom award will be presented in Marseille in June 2026, recognizing the courage and sacrifice of Gaza’s photo and video journalists covering the war under constant threat.
