US urging Israel to allow foreign journalists into Gaza, officials tell ToI

US President Donald Trump’s administration is urging Israel to allow foreign journalists into Gaza now that a ceasefire is in place, two US officials tell The Times of Israel.

Washington began making the request earlier this year, and Trump himself told reporters, when asked in August, that he would like to see foreign journalists allowed into Gaza, while noting that it is not safe there.

Parts of Gaza are more dangerous than others, and with Israel still in control of the eastern half of the Strip following the October 10 start of the ceasefire, the Trump administration has renewed its request for journalists to be given access to Gaza, one of the US official says, while acknowledging that the issue is not a top priority for Washington.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

On October 23, the High Court of Justice gave the state another 30 days to file an update to its position on the independent entry of journalists into the Gaza Strip, in response to a petition by the Foreign Press Association demanding such access. The petition was filed in 2024, and the state filed its response in June this year.

During the short October 23 hearing, the three presiding justices pointed out that the circumstances in Gaza had changed substantially since the state had filed its response due to the ceasefire that came into force earlier this month, arguing that there were too many security risks.