Foreign Press Association blasts Israel over continued ban on journalists entering Gaza

The Foreign Press Association on Tuesday blasted the Israeli government for upholding its ban on international media representatives entering the Gaza Strip. 

“The Foreign Press Association expresses its profound disappointment with the Israeli government’s latest response to our appeal for full and free access to the Gaza Strip,” the foreign media group said in an official statement.

“Instead of presenting a plan for allowing journalists into Gaza independently and letting us work alongside our brave Palestinian colleagues, the government has decided once again to lock us out,” it added, referring to the American-brokered ceasefire that was implemented in October 2025.

The press association called on the Israeli Supreme Court judges to end what it termed a “charade.” The submission was filed in the name of hundreds of journalists in Israel, Gaza, Judea and Samaria (West Bank) who demand unrestricted access to the war-torn coastal enclave. 

The Israeli government has systematically defended its position by stressing the security threats against foreign citizens including media representatives in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government recently also barred 37 NGOs from operating inside Gaza. Despite the volatile ceasefire, Jerusalem still believes that the reality on the ground in Gaza remains dangerous for media representatives who could potentially be either kidnapped or killed. 

Last July, the French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called on the Israeli government to allow international journalists to access Gaza amid the war. 

“I ask that the free and independent press be allowed to access Gaza to show what is happening there and to bear witness,” Barrot stated. 

At the time, the news agency Agent French Press (AFP) also blasted the Israeli government for restricting the entry for journalists into the Gaza Strip. 

"Since October 7, Israel has prohibited access to the Gaza Strip for all international journalists,” AFP wrote in a post on 𝕏. 

"In this context, the work of our Palestinian freelancers is crucial to inform the world," it added. However, despite its criticism of the Israeli government, AFP admitted that the danger to the lives of its journalists in Gaza was real. 

"But their lives are in danger, which is why we urge the Israeli authorities to allow their immediate evacuation along with their families," it concluded. 

Last August, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his support for letting international journalists to report from Gaza. Assessing the complex issue, he said he would “like to see that happen,” but added, “It’s a very dangerous position to be in if you’re a journalist.”

In November 2025, the Trump administration reportedly joined the international pressure campaign on Israel to greenlight the entry of international journalists. 

In December, the court set a Jan. 4 deadline for the Israeli government to unveil a plan for permitting media representatives into Gaza. 

In its submission, Jerusalem insisted that defense officials have assessed that the security situation in Gaza is still volatile and potentially dangerous. “This is for security reasons, based on the position of the defense establishment, which maintains that a security risk associated with such entry still exists."

The role of journalists in Gaza is further complicated by the fact multiple journalists in Gaza have turned out to be members of the terrorist organization Hamas. In October 2024, Israel exposed six Al Jazeera “journalists” as members of Hamas and its ally terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).