The press and Gaza Restrictions, censorship and the hazards of war reporting
By William Lafi Youmans | During wars, states’ militaries are strategic communicators seeking to manage public perception, yet in times of war they also have greater command over press access, making them something like referees. In war time, the preexisting legal protections given to the work of news media are often relaxed in the name of emergency exceptionalism and as jurisdictional gray areas arise in theaters of conflict. Israel has moved further in limiting media access in times of escalated conflict, most recently the war on Gaza that started following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israeli military bases and communities around the enclosed strip. This essay overviews Israel’s press policies, military censorship regime and the response of western news organizations, as well as the repression of Palestinian reporters and Al Jazeera. It further asks whether Israeli’s press controls have any impact on news reporting.