Netanyahu announces plan to allow foreign reporters into Gaza

JERUSALEM (AFP): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday a plan to allow more foreign journalists to report inside Gaza with the military, as he laid out his vision for victory in the territory during a rare press conference.

Access to Gaza has been tightly controlled over the course of 22 months of war against Hamas.

Israel has blocked most foreign correspondents from independently accessing the territory since it launched its campaign there following the Palestinian militant group’s unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack, with officials often citing security as a reason.

The Israeli military has taken journalists on occasional embeds that are tightly controlled by security officials.

“We have decided and have ordered, directed the military to bring in foreign journalists, more foreign journalists, a lot,” Netanyahu said during Sunday’s press conference.

“There’s a problem with assuring security, but I think it can be done in a way that is responsible and careful to preserve your own safety.”

The premier, however, did not provide specifics on the plan.

Global press outlets have long relied on local journalists on the ground in Gaza to provide reporting and footage from the war.