The Foreign Press Association (FPA) expressed its shock and sadness that, 18 months into its war on Hamas, Israel continues to impose an unprecedented ban on foreign journalists entering Gaza.

A statement issued by the board of directors of the association, which includes 380 journalists working for the foreign press in Israel and the Palestinian territories, on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, which falls on May 3, stated that "unprecedented in the history of Israel, the government has imposed such sweeping restrictions on the media for such an extended period," considering it "a stain on a country that claims to be a beacon of democracy."

The statement added, "We salute our Palestinian journalist colleagues who continue to cover events despite great personal risks. However, Israeli restrictions have severely hampered independent reporting and deprived the world of a full picture of the situation in Gaza."

The statement continued, "Our repeated requests for dialogue and a solution that would allow journalists to enter the Gaza Strip have been rejected, while the Israeli government has repeatedly sought to delay referring our case to the Supreme Court."

The Foreign Press Association Board of Directors statement concluded, "We call on Israel to end the ongoing delays, uphold the basic principles of press freedom, and allow journalists unrestricted access to Gaza."