High Court questions state’s claim that security risks to IDF forces justify Gaza press access ban

Justices in the High Court hearing over press access to Gaza question the state’s contention that allowing journalists independent access to Gaza would endanger Israeli forces.

“Journalists want to enter independently. What risk do they pose to IDF forces?” Justice Chaled Kabub asks the state’s representative, Yonatan Nadav.

Nadav says he can only explain the state’s position behind closed doors, which the justices agree to hear after the court session.

Justice Ruth Ronen also points out that the security situation has changed since the petitions by the Foreign Press Association were first filed back in 2024, specifically in light of the ceasefire which came into effect in October 2025.

“You can no longer say it’s the same risk. You must explain what else must take place for journalists’ entry to be permitted,” she told Nadav.

“It’s not enough to claim security concerns without explaining it,” Ronen insists.

Justice Noam Sohlberg says at the end of the closed-door hearing with state representatives that the court will issue a decision on the case.

The FPA filed its petition in September 2024 demanding unfettered press access for foreign journalists to Gaza in the face of the government’s policy allowing only embeds for Israeli journalists, and to a lesser extent for foreign journalists, in which reporters enter specific areas of Gaza with IDF forces.