High Court gives state 30 days to reassess Gaza media ban post ceasefire

The High Court of Justice on Thursday gave the government 30 days to update its position on whether to allow independent journalists into the Gaza Strip

The High Court of Justice on Thursday gave the government 30 days to update its position on whether to allow independent journalists into the Gaza Strip, amid claims by the Foreign Press Association (FPA) that the nearly two-year-long blanket ban on media access violates fundamental democratic rights.

At the hearing in Jerusalem, a three-judge panel headed by Justice Ofer Grosskopf, with Justice Gila Canfy-Steinitz and Justice Ruth Ronen, noted that conditions in Gaza had “substantially changed” since the state last filed its response in June, following the ceasefire that kicked in earlier this month. Ronen told the State Attorney’s Office representative that the government must now “re-examine” its policy in light of the new situation.

Attorney Gilead Sher, representing the FPA, urged the court to prevent further delays and to issue an interim order allowing journalists independent access to Gaza. He stressed that the proceedings had already been drawn out for more than a year as the state repeatedly sought extensions.

A long legal battle

The court’s order marks the latest development in a legal battle between the government and the FPA, which has challenged the Defense Ministry and the IDF over their policy barring all non-embedded journalists from entering Gaza since the war began on October 7, 2023, following Hamas’s deadly invasion and massacre in southern Israel. The case has become a key test of Israel’s balance between national security and press freedom during wartime.

The FPA’s petition, filed in 2024, argues that the blanket prohibition on independent access “contravenes the foundational principles of the state as a democratic country, and represents a severe, unreasonable and disproportionate injury to freedom of the press, freedom of expression, and the public’s right to information.”

The association has asked the High Court to order the defense minister and the IDF to draft “clear policies and organized procedures” for media entry and to permit at least limited, independently arranged reporting from inside Gaza.

The state, in its previous response filed in June, cited security concerns, asserting that allowing journalists into the enclave could expose troop positions and operational details and thereby “put them in real danger.” The government also pointed out that the High Court had already rejected a similar FPA petition in January 2024, ruling that there is “no vested right” for anyone, including journalists, to enter Gaza.

Since the petition’s filing, the state has requested multiple deferrals – nine by the FPA’s count – all granted by the court. A planned hearing in June was postponed following Israeli strikes against Iran, further delaying proceedings.

Israel has meanwhile permitted only limited access through IDF-controlled embeds, primarily for Israeli journalists and a small number of foreign correspondents. Those embeds are tightly restricted and subject to military oversight, which the FPA says prevents comprehensive coverage of the war.

Following Thursday’s decision, the FPA said it was “disappointed in the Israeli Supreme Court’s decision to grant the State of Israel yet another delay,” accusing the government of “stalling tactics” that “hinder the public’s right to information.”

The state must now submit its updated position within 30 days.