The International Journalists Association on Tuesday criticized the Israeli government for maintaining a ban on unrestricted media access to Gaza, calling the move disappointing.
The government argued in a submission to the Supreme Court on Sunday night that the ban should remain in place, citing security risks in the Gaza Strip.
The filing was in response to a lawsuit filed by the Foreign Press Association (FPA) – which represents hundreds of journalists in Israel and the Palestinian territories – seeking immediate and unrestricted access to Gaza by foreign journalists.
– The Association of Foreign Journalists expresses deep disappointment with the latest response of the Israeli government to our appeal for full and free access to the Gaza Strip – the association stated on Tuesday.
– Instead of presenting a plan that would allow journalists to enter Gaza independently and work together with our brave Palestinian colleagues, the government has decided to lock us up again – they added, despite the ceasefire in the territory.
Since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, the Israeli government has banned foreign journalists from entering the devastated territory on their own.
Instead, Israel allowed a limited number of reporters to enter Gaza on a case-by-case basis, with military escort inside the blockaded Palestinian territory.
The FPA filed suit in 2024, after which the court granted the government several extensions to file a response. Last month, however, the court set January 4 as the deadline for the government to present a plan for media access to Gaza.
In its submission, the government maintained that the ban should remain in place.
(Vijesti.ba)
