Several major journalism organizations are pressing Israel’s highest court to accelerate its decision regarding foreign reporter access to Gaza, claiming that ongoing restrictions on independent international news coverage can no longer be defended.
The Foreign Press Association, along with the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, and the Union of Journalists in Israel, announced Tuesday they had submitted an urgent request to Israel’s Supreme Court. The coalition filed their emergency motion on April 13, following the court’s acceptance of the Israeli government’s most recent petition to postpone proceedings until May 24.
According to a collaborative statement released April 15, international journalists operating independently have been barred from Gaza since October 7, 2023. The organizations characterized this 2.5-year prohibition as extraordinary and cautioned it might establish a concerning precedent for other war zones. They noted that authorities have consistently sought postponements since the FPA submitted its current legal challenge on September 10, 2024.
Following a US-mediated ceasefire in October, the court provided the state 30 days to outline its stance on permitting journalists to enter Gaza. However, officials responded by requesting additional extensions, the statement indicated.
While a hearing eventually occurred in January, the organizations contended that progress has since been hindered after the government received permission to file confidential documents not disclosed to the FPA. The groups dismissed justifications for ongoing delays, noting that hostages are no longer present in Gaza, a stable ceasefire exists, and no credible or specific dangers to journalists have been documented. The statement further criticized the government’s latest rationale involving conflict with Iran as irrelevant.
The coalition highlighted that Palestinian reporters have maintained coverage from within Gaza throughout the conflict despite facing extreme hardships including starvation, forced relocation, unlawful detention, family losses, and attacks by Israeli forces. CPJ and RSF reported that over 220 Palestinian journalists have died during the war, with at least 70 allegedly targeted by Israeli military forces due to their professional activities. Additionally, two Palestinian journalists from Gaza have been unaccounted for since October 7, 2023.
FPA chairperson Tania Kraemer stated: “This indefinite ban must end. The never-ending delays have made a mockery of the legal process. It is time for the justices to put an end to this once and for all. Let us into Gaza independently and immediately and work there alongside our Palestinian colleagues.”
CPJ chief executive Jodie Ginsberg noted that Israel has blocked independent media access to Gaza for over 900 days and criticized the court for failing to protect press freedoms. RSF Director General Thibaut Bruttin and Anat Saragusti, who leads press freedom efforts at the UJI, also demanded a decision that would permit foreign correspondents to enter Gaza and conduct independent reporting.
The four organizations emphasized that Palestinian journalists should not bear sole responsibility for Gaza coverage and maintained that, six months into a ceasefire, foreign reporters should no longer face exclusion.
