The Foreign Press Association (FPA) has expressed deep disappointment over the Israeli Supreme Court’s decision to postpone ruling on press access to Gaza.

In a statement issued on 28 January 2026, the FPA said: “The Foreign Press Association is deeply disappointed that the Israeli Supreme Court has once again postponed ruling on our petition for free, independent press access to Gaza.”

“All the more concerning is that the court appears to have been swayed by the state’s classified security arguments, which were presented behind closed doors and without the presence of the FPA’s attorneys,” it said.

The association warned that this “secretive process offers no opportunity for us to rebut these arguments and clears the way for the continued arbitrary and open-ended closure of Gaza to foreign journalists.”

The FPA rejected Israel’s security justification for the ban.

“As our attorneys argued in court on Monday, there are no security arguments that justify Israel’s blanket ban on allowing foreign journalists independent access to Gaza,” the statement read.

 “This is happening at a time when humanitarian aid workers and other officials are being allowed into Gaza,” it added.

The FPA stressed the importance of public scrutiny and media freedom, saying “the public’s right to know should not be reduced to an afterthought.”

The association urged the court to reconsider its decision and urgently allow free, independent access to Gaza “at a time of enormous change and massive implications.”

The Supreme Court delay comes amid mounting concerns over press freedom and journalist safety during Israel’s war on Gaza. On 21 January, an Israeli strike killed three journalists in Gaza, pushing the number of Palestinian journalists killed since October 2023 to 260.

Press freedom groups and media organisations say Israel’s continued ban on foreign journalists entering Gaza is intended to block independent, on-the-ground reporting on the war and its humanitarian consequences, leaving coverage largely dependent on official or tightly controlled sources.

The war has taken a devastating toll on civilians. More than 71,600 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 171,400 injured since October 2023.

Although a ceasefire took effect on 10 October, Israeli attacks have continued. Since then, at least 492 people have been killed and more than 1,350 injured, further underscoring calls for transparency, accountability and unrestricted media access to Gaza.