The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned today, Wednesday, the decision of the Israeli Supreme Court to reject the request of the Foreign Press Association to allow international media to enter the Gaza Strip.

In a press statement, the syndicate considered the decision as an exacerbation by the security, political, and judicial institutions of the occupation state to prevent the freedom of movement and mobility of journalists, a blatant violation of media freedom, and a crime against the international media and foreign journalists, adding to its horrific crimes against Palestinian journalists which have so far claimed the lives of 110 journalists.

The syndicate called on all international and UN institutions and the International Federation of Journalists to pressure the occupation state to allow journalists to enter the Gaza Strip in order to cover the occupation’s crimes and the genocide war it is waging against the Palestinian people.

The Israeli Supreme Court refused to allow foreign journalists to enter Gaza, considering that the security situation justifies the imposed restrictions because independent entry of journalists could "endanger" Israeli soldiers fighting Hamas. The Foreign Press Association in Jerusalem, which submitted the petition representing dozens of global media organizations in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, expressed its "disappointment" at the ruling.

Earlier, the Israeli Supreme Court rejected a petition submitted by global media outlets to allow their journalists to enter the Gaza Strip.

Israel besieges the Palestinian enclave and does not allow journalists to enter independently since the outbreak of the conflict following an unprecedented surprise attack launched by Hamas on the southern part of the Israeli state on October 7.

The court considered that the security situation justifies the imposed restrictions because independent entry of journalists could "endanger" Israeli soldiers fighting Hamas, which governs the Palestinian enclave.

The decision issued by the court on Monday stated that allowing journalists to enter Gaza could lead to the disclosure of operational details, including the locations of forces and personnel, in a way that could "expose them to actual danger."

The Foreign Press Association in Jerusalem, which submitted the petition representing dozens of global media organizations in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, expressed its "disappointment" at the ruling.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, it said that "the ban imposed by Israel on the entry of independent foreign press to Gaza, for 95 consecutive days, is unprecedented."

In its decision, the court said it seeks to find a balance between the safety of journalists and soldiers and "freedom of the press."

The court emphasized that foreign and Israeli journalists are allowed limited access to Gaza under the protection of the Israeli army.

However, the association said that the military escort "is restricted to selected foreign media" and they "are subjected to strict censorship."

The association considered Israel’s concerns about reporting on the locations of forces unconvincing while Palestinian journalists continue to work in Gaza, stressing the necessity to enable foreign press to enter areas in Gaza where Israeli forces are not deployed.