The Trump administration is asking Israel to allow foreign journalists to enter Gaza, The Times of Israel reported on Monday, citing two US officials.
President Trump said publicly back in August that Israel should allow foreign press into Gaza, and the report said that the US has renewed the request in the wake of the ceasefire deal, which Israel has repeatedly violated.
However, one US official said the issue isn’t high on the Trump administration’s list of priorities, signaling that the administration isn’t applying much pressure and that Israel may be able to maintain the ban. Israel has maintained the ban since October 7, 2023, besides a few controlled visits of journalists who were embedded with the IDF.
The Jerusalem-based Foreign Press Association (FPA) has petitioned the Israeli government to allow foreign journalists to enter Gaza, which was filed in 2024. On October 23, the Israeli Supreme Court said the government must clarify its position on the issue since the situation on the ground has changed in Gaza, but gave the government 30 days to do so.
According to a report from the Israeli news site Ynet, Israeli officials are preparing for a “propaganda war” for when international journalists are able to enter Gaza. The report said that officials are worried about a large number of human stories about Palestinian civilians in Gaza who have suffered under the Israeli bombing campaign and siege.
While foreign journalists haven’t been able to enter Gaza, Palestinian journalists and the ground have reported extensively on Israel’s genocidal war, and more than 200 of them have been killed by the IDF. In August, the Israeli military conducted a double-tap strike on the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, which killed five journalists.
