Israel says opening Rafah crossing does not mean journalists can enter Gaza

An Israeli government representative told the Supreme Court on Monday that opening the Rafah crossing does not necessarily mean journalists will be allowed to enter the Gaza Strip, arguing that their entry still poses a security risk.

The Israeli Supreme Court was hearing a petition filed by the Foreign Press Association in Israel, which is demanding that journalists be allowed into Gaza to report on the situation on the ground.

According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the government representative said allowing entry could expose journalists to security dangers, without giving further details.

Judge Ruth Ronen responded that “simply referring to security risks without defining them is not enough,” adding that there has been a major change in the reality on the ground.

The panel of judges decided to hear the Israeli army’s position in a closed session.

This is the second petition of its kind. The court rejected the first one when the war began.

The Foreign Press Association submitted the current petition a year and four months ago, but the court repeatedly approved Israel’s requests to delay its response.

In early January, the Israeli authorities told the Supreme Court that the ban on foreign journalists entering the Gaza Strip should remain in place, according to a memorandum submitted by the Attorney General’s Office on behalf of the government.