The Foreign Press Association welcomes the Supreme Court’s decision to set a final deadline for the state of Israel to respond to our petition for independent press access to Gaza.

After two years of the state’s delay tactics, we are pleased that the court’s patience has finally run out. The state must now present its position by January 4 or face the court’s final ruling based on the available body of information.

We renew our call for the state of Israel to immediately grant journalists free and unfettered access to the Gaza Strip. And should the government continue to obstruct press freedoms, we hope that the Supreme Court will recognize and uphold those freedoms.

Statement attributed to the board of The Foreign Press Association