Israel barring reporters from going to Gaza

With the five-month-old Israel-Hamas cease fire in Gaza facing its most serious challenge, the Israeli government is taking the rare step of barring journalists from going inside to see what's happening.

The new decision to prevent reporters from going into Gaza comes just as the Israel is stepping up its ground and air operations and the cease fire, set to expire next month, is facing the possibility of collapse.

The Israeli steps are drawing increasing criticism from reporters.

"We consider it a serious problem for freedom of the press," said Steve Gutkin, chairman of the Foreign Press Association. "We think that journalists have to be placed in a special category. A blanket ban on people going into Gaza should not apply to journalists. We serve as the window for the world into Gaza."

While Israeli officials deny that the government is imposing a new policy of barring journalists from going into Gaza, that's exactly what they are doing.

Until now, journalists have been able to come-and-go during all the tense periods.

The last time I recall Israel barring reporters from entering Gaza was during the Hamas takeover in June, 2007.

But even in the aftermath, when there was serious chaos on the Gaza borders, Israel went out of its way to allow journalists in and out.

Now, says Peter Lerner, a spokesman for the Israeli government, things have changed: Only humanitarian cases are allowed to come-and-go.

That means the few other people who still have regular access to Gaza - diplomats, non-humanitarian aid workers, and, most prominently, journalists - can't get in.

The Foreign Press Association issued a statement critical of the new steps.

"The Israeli government has offered no plausible explanation for the extended lockdown and current hostilities need not preclude movement of journalists," the FPA said. "We note that humanitarian cases are still going in and out, proving safe passage is possible. At a time when the current ceasefire is being tested and a fuel shortage threatens to unleash a new humanitarian crisis, it is particularly essential that the media be allowed to do their job."

But Lerner says the new decision to prevent reporters from entering Gaza is likely to continue.

That will make it increasingly difficult to get varied, nuanced and in-depth reports from Gaza on the situation at a time when varied, nuanced and in-depth reporting is what people need to understand what's going on.

Comments

[Julia Hurley]

You can't help but to wonder what they're trying to hide from the journalists, and as such, the rest of the world. We all know the situation is horrendous at the moment, but does this mean that it is going to get worse...much worse even? The Israeli government is slowly choking the life out of Gaza and they think it will stop Hamas, when in reality, all it will do is give them a fantastic recruitment campaign. Collective punishment never works.

[Juan]

I'm pretty sure Amira Hass made it into Gaza on one of those solidarity boats. She's worth 100 corporate press hacks.

[zarxo]

Make Israel a U.S. state and everyone inside a citizen and buy back that chunk of land that Russia just redeemed from Israel--Russia is just meddling.

Anyway, Israel was Churchill's Middle-East joke just to annoy the Arabs. Talk about immortalizing Churchill's legacy--my god!

[Henry Norr]

What's a "non-humanitarian aid worker"? Sounds like an oxymoron to me...

[Asher]

Sure thing, Julia. Then when some Qassams get shot, or a militia starts kidnapping reporters, then you can blame Israel for adding to the heavy toll of human mess.

It's so easy when Israel is at fault for everything.

[Asher]

Sure thing, Julia. Then when some Qassams get shot, or a militia starts kidnapping reporters, then you can blame Israel for adding to the heavy toll of human mess.

It's so easy when Israel is at fault for everything.

[Dion]

Henry: I am not sure how the IDF distinguishes one aid worker from another. My guess would be that someone working with Red Crescent to help medical cases might get in-and-out, but someone working on rebuilding the Gaza roads might not. But getting straight answers about the new policy isn't easy.