Israel top court upholds ban on foreign media’s independent access to Gaza

The Israeli Supreme Court has turned down international media organisations’ plea requesting independent access to report from besieged Gaza – where at least 72 Palestinian journalists have reportedly been killed in the past three months. 

The US-headquartered Foreign Press Association, which represents at least 370 journalists from about 130 media outlets, had asked the Israeli court last month to allow journalists to enter Gaza. 

At present, foreign correspondents can enter the Palestinian territory “embedded” with or accompanied by Israeli troops. The media body called it “limited access,” saying that the arrangement restricted access to areas where the Israeli forces were not present, Reuters reported.

Rejecting the media association’s plea, the Israel Supreme Court said it recognises the right of freedom of the press, but the current wartime circumstances justified the curbs, TRT reported. The court upheld that the current system allowing the media to “embed” with the forces was a “balanced and reasonable policy”. 

It said that journalists inside Gaza could put Israeli forces at risk by reporting about the troop positions. 

A total of more than 23,000 people have been killed in the war between Palestinian militants Hamas and Israeli forces since October 7 – with more than 22,000 Palestinian deaths in Gaza and the West Bank, and over 1,200 deaths in Israel.

Newslaundry had earlier reported that many journalists killed in the conflict were at work, trying to make audiences across the world aware of the horrors of war despite obstacles to their work. From a mother of three to a reporter known for their “empathy”, these journalists also lived a life off the camera. Read all about it here.