Katz defends Israel’s ban on foreign press access to Gaza, citing security risks

Defense Minister Israel Katz justifies Israel’s ongoing ban on foreign press access to the Gaza Strip, citing the risk posed to media personnel from IDF troops, Haaretz reports.

Katz’s comments come in response to an inquiry from Hadash-Ta’al chair Ayman Odeh, who had questioned the government’s policy prohibiting journalists from entering Gaza.

According to the report, Katz says that Hamas’s repeated violations of the current ceasefire “lead to immediate IDF responses that could endanger journalists and our soldiers.” He adds that due to the classified nature of the matter, further details could not be provided.

Israel has maintained the ban on foreign press access to the enclave since the onset of the war with the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, onslaught. It has let some journalists into the Strip as embedded reporters with IDF troops.

The Foreign Press Association (FPA) has filed two petitions to the High Court of Justice in response. The first petition was rejected based on security concerns, while the second, filed over a year ago, has been delayed multiple times to give the state more time to submit a response.

Last week, the court accepted another request from the state for an extension and is now requiring the state to submit its response by Sunday.

Attorney Gilad Shar, representing the FPA, criticized the government’s stance, stating that it “tramples on basic constitutional rights” and undermines Israel’s image as a democracy. He emphasized that the continued denial of access to foreign journalists signals disdain for a free press and freedom of expression.

The Committee to Protect Journalists reports that 206 media personnel have been killed during the Gaza conflict, with 59 of them said to be specifically targeted by Israeli forces.

Israel has repeatedly denied targeting journalists and has said that some of those who have been killed have links to Hamas.