AILSA CHANG, HOST:
Israel has blocked all independent press access to Gaza since the war began in 2023, meaning almost all on-the-ground reporting has come from Palestinian journalists who are already in Gaza, journalists who are living through the war themselves, including NPR's own Anas Baba. International journalists have been fighting for access for more than two years, and earlier this week, Israel's Supreme Court prolonged that wait yet again. Here to tell us more about that is NPR's Kat Lonsdorf in Tel Aviv. Hi, Kat.
KAT LONSDORF, BYLINE: Hey there.
CHANG: So can you just catch us up on this case that's been before the Supreme Court in Israel?
LONSDORF: Yeah. When the war first started, Israel immediately closed the borders to Gaza to all press access, citing security concerns for both Israeli troops and journalists themselves. The Foreign Press Association here in Israel, of which NPR is a member, filed a petition with the Supreme Court pretty soon after that, arguing for access. The court rejected that petition, but the FPA filed again last year. And since then, there have been numerous postponements. Yesterday, the court granted yet another extension to the state of Israel.
CHANG: OK. And just to be clear - you have been reporting on this war almost since it started - have you ever been in Gaza?
LONSDORF: No, I haven't. But, of course, we have Anas there, like you said. Pretty much the only access outside journalists, including Israeli journalists, have been allowed into Gaza is on highly controlled, very selective embeds with the Israeli military. And many outlets, including NPR, have gone on those. Essentially, some access is better than no access. But they are in no way whatsoever a replacement for independent reporting. The Israeli military controls what you see, who you talk to, and also requires that they be allowed to go through all of your footage and tape afterward. But, Ailsa, it hasn't been like this in past Gaza wars. Here's Joe Federman. He's Associated Press' news director for the region, and also the deputy chair of the FPA here. He told me this is the fifth war in Gaza that he's covered, and there have never been delays like this.
JOE FEDERMAN: Even the longest war, which was 2014, we were able to work out a system to get people in and out while the war was still going on.
CHANG: So because of these current restrictions, as we've been saying, Anas Baba, our colleague, has been almost individually solely responsible for so much...
LONSDORF: Right.
CHANG: ...Of our coverage coming out of Gaza.
LONSDORF: Right, exactly. It's been kind of shocking to me that more of the American public doesn't seem to be aware of the media ban into Gaza, and I think a large part of that is because we've had such excellent nonstop work coming from our Palestinian colleagues there. Having other press access isn't to replace that reporting, it's to supplement it. The Palestinian journalists in Gaza, Anas included, are covering this war relentlessly while living through it, losing their homes, struggling to find food, seeing friends, family and colleagues - many colleagues - killed. And they can't leave. They can't take a break. You know, I talk to Anas almost every day while I'm out here, and we've never met. I can't go to him, and he certainly can't come here to me.
CHANG: That's just so incredible to me that the two of you have never actually met.
LONSDORF: Yeah.
CHANG: It is incredibly dangerous in Gaza, of course, which is one of the reasons that Israel cites for not allowing the press. But, Kat, how often do we see these kinds of absolute restrictions on international independent media during wartime?
LONSDORF: It's rare. I mean, in any war zone there are always restrictions or censorship. But, you know, I've covered Russia's war in Ukraine as well, and there you can get fairly close to the front lines. You can talk to the people most affected by the violence, and you can see the destruction with your own eyes. You know, Israel has asserted many times that the justification is for security purposes, but critics of that, including critics here in Israel, have argued that it's Israel's attempt to not have more credible journalists seeing firsthand the level of destruction and the horrors of this war.
CHANG: That is NPR's Kat Lonsdorf in Tel Aviv. Thank you so much, Kat.
LONSDORF: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
