Israeli officials have informed the Supreme Court that the prohibition on international media entering Gaza should stay in force, maintaining that it is required for security purposes, according to a government filing submitted by the public prosecutor.
Since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, Israeli authorities have prevented foreign journalists from independently accessing the territory, reports RTE.
Israel has permitted only a small number of reporters to enter Gaza, with access granted on a case-by-case basis and only when embedded with Israeli military units operating inside the besieged enclave.
The Foreign Press Association (FPA), which represents hundreds of international journalists working in Israel and the Palestinian territories, submitted a petition to the Supreme Court in 2024 calling for immediate and unrestricted media access to Gaza, reports RTE.
Since that filing, the court has granted several extensions to allow Israeli authorities time to present a plan, but during a hearing last month it set 4 January as the final deadline.
Israeli authorities submitted their response to the court yesterday, a copy of which was seen by AFP, reports RTE.
In their submission, the government argued that the restriction on media access to Gaza should remain in place, pointing to ongoing security dangers in the area.
“Even at this time, entry of journalists into the Gaza Strip without escort, as requested in the petition, should not be permitted,” said the government submission, reports RTE.
“This is for security reasons, based on the position of the defence establishment, which maintains that a security risk associated with such entry still exists,” reports RTE.
Israeli authorities said the ceasefire in Gaza, which came into force on 10 October last, continues to be threatened on a regular basis, reports RTE.
At least 420 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by Israeli forces since the ceasefire began, according to figures from Gaza’s health ministry.
The Israeli military said that three of its soldiers have also been killed by militants during the same timeframe, reports RTE.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of more than 71,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry, and has prompted accusations of genocide and war crimes, which Israel rejects.
In their submission, Israeli authorities said the search for the remains of the final hostage believed to be held in Gaza is still under way, suggesting that permitting journalists to enter at this stage could obstruct the effort, reports RTE.
The remains of Ran Gvili, whose body was taken into Gaza after he was killed during the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023, have not yet been recovered despite the ceasefire.
All other 250 hostages taken that day, both living and deceased, have since been returned to Israel, reports RTE.
The Supreme Court is expected to deliver a ruling on the issue, although it is not yet clear when a decision will be announced.
An AFP journalist is a member of the FPA board, reports RTE.
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