Israel’s govt says ban on Gaza media access should stay: court document

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel’s government has told the Supreme Court that a ban on international media access to Gaza should remain in place due to security risks in the Palestinian territory, according to a court submission.

Since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, Israeli authorities have barred foreign journalists from independently entering the devastated territory.

Instead, Israel has allowed only a limited number of reporters to enter Gaza on a case-by-case basis, embedded with its military forces inside the blockaded territory.

The Foreign Press Association (FPA), which represents hundreds of foreign journalists working in Israel and the Palestinian territories, filed a petition with the Supreme Court in 2024 seeking immediate and unrestricted access for international media to the Gaza Strip.

Since then, the court has given several extensions to the Israeli authorities to come up with a plan, but at a hearing last month it set January 4 as a final deadline.

Read more: Israeli forces kill three Palestinians in Gaza

Late on Sunday, the Israeli government filed its response with the court, a copy of which was obtained by AFP.

In the submission, the government said the ban on media access to Gaza should continue, citing security risks in the territory.

“Even at this time, entry of journalists into the Gaza Strip without escort, as requested in the petition, should not be permitted,” said the government submission.

“This is for security reasons, based on the position of the defence establishment, which maintains that a security risk associated with such entry still exists.”

The government said the ceasefire in Gaza, which came into effect on October 10, continues to face regular threats.

At least 420 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by Israeli forces since the ceasefire took effect, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

The Israeli military said three of its soldiers have also been killed by the group during the same period.

Last month, Defence Minister Israel Katz told parliament that the military’s swift responses to ceasefire violations by Hamas could endanger journalists, according to Israeli media reports.

The government said in its submission that the search for the remains of the last hostage held in Gaza is ongoing, suggesting that allowing journalists into the Palestinian territory at this stage could hinder the operation.