Defense Minister Israel Katz justifies on Monday, December 30, Israel’s ongoing ban on foreign press access to the Gaza Strip, citing the risk posed to media personnel from occupation soldiers, Haaretz reports. Katz’s comments come in response to an inquiry from Hadash-Ta’al chair MK Ayman Odeh, who had questioned the far-right government’s policy prohibiting journalists from entering Gaza.

“Stop killing journalists in Gaza,” a demonstration held in Brussels by journalists’ unions, August 27, 2025 (Photo: International Federation of Journalists)

MK Odeh said that “this stubborn, ongoing attempt to prevent journalists from entering Gaza clearly shows an intent to hide the war crimes and crimes against humanity made by Israeli occupation soldiers.”

Israel has maintained the ban on foreign press access to the enclave since the onset of the war on October 7, 2023. It has let some Israeli journalists into the Strip as embedded reporters with the 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 ten 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 next Sunday. Attorney Gilad Sher, 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.

Members of the Israeli parliament voted on 10 November in favor of passing a bill that would allow the government to permanently shut down foreign media outlets alleged to “undermine national security,” without judicial oversight and regardless of the security situation.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is extremely concerned about this bill which, if approved, would represent the government’s latest attempt to curtail free speech and media freedom. It also urged the Israeli authorities to stop using security concerns as an excuse to suppress media that are critical of the government.

This temporary law, approved in April 2024, is known as the “Al Jazeera Law” because it enabled the government to shut down Al Jazeera’s broadcasting in Israel and raid its offices during a state of national emergency. This measure, which has been repeatedly extended since its approval, has been widely criticized by the IFJ and other media freedom organizations, since it has been used to silence critical media on the grounds of “encouraging terrorism” and restrict press freedom.

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: “Israel is openly waging a battle against media outlets, both local and foreign, that criticize the government’s narrative: that is typical behavior of authoritarian regimes. We are deeply concerned about the Israeli parliament passing this controversial bill, as it would be a serious blow to free speech and media freedom, and a direct attack on the public’s right to know.” On December 23, the Knesset announced the extension of the law allowing authorities to ban any foreign media deemed harmful to state security from broadcasting in the country. According to a statement published on the Knesset’s X account, the amendment “allows, under a temporary provision valid until December 31, 2027, the restriction of broadcasts by foreign media that harm state security.”

According the IFJ, at least 226 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed, several have been injured and others are missing during the war in Gaza. The IFJ and the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned the killings and continued attacks on journalists and called to an immediate investigation into their deaths.