"In these times of darkness and chaos, we wish to send a strong message of solidarity and recognition to the Palestinian journalists who are covering this crisis in dramatic circumstances," said Mauricio Weibel, president of the international jury of media professionals. "Humanity has an immense debt to them for their courage and their commitment to freedom of expression," he added, quoted in a press release. Audrey Azoulay, director-general of UNESCO, the United Nations organization for education, science and culture, stressed, in turn, the "importance of collective mobilization so that journalists, all over the world, can continue to carry out their essential work of information and investigation." Also today, Amnesty International (AI) stressed that journalistic activity continues to be "a true act of courage" in many parts of the world, recalling the professionals who were victims of the war in the Gaza Strip. On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, which is marked on Friday, AI appealed in a press release for "freedom to inform to always prevail over the attacks to which it is subject", stressing "the crucial role" of journalists, but also "the dangers that they still face globally." In the press release, AI recalls the professionals who were victims in over six months of the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, citing figures from the Committee to Protect Journalists, which account for 97 deaths since October 7. Of this total, 92 were Palestinians, two Israelis and three Lebanese, according to the Committee, which notes that "in the last 30 years, no other war has taken the lives of so many journalists in such a short period of time." In addition to that number, there are at least 45 Palestinian journalists detained in Israeli custody, of whom 23 are in administrative detention and others are missing, according to Addameer, a prisoners' support association based in Ramallah. It is difficult to obtain first-hand information about what is happening in the Gaza Strip, since Israel has prevented the international press from entering the Palestinian enclave since the beginning of the war, six months ago. On October 7, an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel caused about 1,200 deaths and over two hundred hostages, according to the Israeli authorities, who responded with a military offensive against the Gaza Strip. The Israeli operation caused about 34,600 deaths and the destruction of many infrastructures in Gaza, according to data updated today by the Hamas government. Read Also: USA asks Israel for measures to avoid colonist attacks on aid (Portuguese version)