Foreign Press Association Says Israel Has No Security Justification for Gaza Journalist Ban

The Foreign Press Association (FPA) has sharply criticised the Israeli Supreme Court’s continued delays and the government’s insistence on barring foreign journalists from independent access to the Gaza Strip, asserting there are no valid security reasons for the restrictions. The group, which represents hundreds of international media professionals reporting in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, made its case in submissions ahead of the court’s latest postponement to rule on its petition.

Israel has maintained a blanket ban on foreign correspondent entry into Gaza since the outbreak of the war in October 2023, even as it permits certain humanitarian workers and officials to enter the territory. The Supreme Court has repeatedly deferred decisions on the FPA’s appeal seeking unrestricted press access, most recently extending the review period and pushing a potential update to as late as March 31, 2026. In its public statement, the FPA expressed “deep disappointment” with both the judiciary’s handling of the petition and the government’s ongoing position.

A central point of contention is Israel’s reliance on classified security arguments presented behind closed doors in court without the FPA’s legal team present, a process the association says prevents it from contesting or rebutting those claims. The FPA has insisted that such closed-door security claims do not constitute legitimate grounds for a blanket media ban, particularly as other non-journalist personnel continue to move into Gaza for relief operations.

“The public’s right to know should not be reduced to an afterthought,” the FPA said, urging the Supreme Court to reconsider its deferment and to uphold principles of free, independent press access. The association and other media freedom advocates argue that denying international journalists the ability to report directly from Gaza impedes transparent coverage of humanitarian conditions and limits the global public’s understanding of the situation on the ground.

Critics of the ban also point out that the restrictions persist despite Israel’s own cited security concerns having shifted, including the return of remains of the last hostage from conflict zones, which the FPA argues undercuts the rationale used to justify excluding the press. The ongoing dispute reflects broader tensions over media freedom in conflict environments and the role of independent reporting in accountability and international understanding.