FPA Welcomes Israel’s High Court Move to Curb Delays on Journalists’ Entry to Gaza
By The Media Line Staff
Israel’s High Court of Justice ordered the state on Sunday to provide a final extension to respond to a request by the Foreign Press Association (FPA) to be allowed unlimited access to Gaza.
Along with criticisms of the repeated delays in responding to the petition, the FPA welcomed the decision not to grant any further extensions.
The High Court of Justice added that it would issue a ruling even if the state ignored or missed the deadline for the extension.
The FPA has repeatedly requested access to Gaza since June, but permission was denied by the state, citing security concerns.
Justice Ofer Grosskopf rejected a new request from the state for an additional three-week extension, noting that previous commitments to submit an updated response had not been honored. Grosskopf wrote in his decision that the government had already received ample time to explain why it continues to bar non-embedded journalists from entering Gaza, even after a cease-fire went into effect on Oct. 10.
“Now the respondents [the state and the defense minister] are requesting another extension, this time of three weeks, and they [may yet] ask for more. It is not possible to agree to this,” Grosskopf said, setting Jan. 4 as the final deadline rather than the Jan. 11 date sought by the state.
The FPA welcomed the court’s decision, saying the justices had reached the end of their patience. “After two years of the state’s delay tactics, we are pleased that the court’s patience has finally run out,” the organization said. It renewed its call for “free and unfettered access” for journalists and urged the court to safeguard press freedoms if restrictions persist.
In its petition, the FPA argues that a blanket ban on independent reporting violates core democratic principles and inflicts disproportionate harm on freedom of the press, expression, employment, and the public’s right to information.
However, the Israeli government has insisted that allowing journalists unfettered access to the Gaza Strip puts them, soldiers, and civilians in danger. Although a ceasefire has been in place for several months, there has been periodic fighting, which Israel’s military attributes to violations of the Yellow Line border.
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