The FPA is dismayed to learn that the Israeli Supreme Court has once again granted an extension to the Israeli government to respond to our petition for free and independent access to Gaza.

We have grown accustomed to such delays in the last 14 months since this petition has been filed. The Israeli government has repeatedly made it clear that it has no interest in opening Gaza and no plan for doing so.

However, we understood that the court’s Oct. 23 order for the state to offer a plan in 30 days was a deadline. We are deeply disappointed that this wasn’t the case.

The Israeli government has sought one extension after another in responding to our request for access since September 2024. These repeated delays have made a mockery of the legal process.

The court has given the government until Dec. 4 to respond. We truly hope that this will be the final such delay and that the court and Israeli government will allow the international media to fulfill its mission of reporting the news and informing the world about the situation in Gaza.

Statement attributed to the board of The Foreign Press Association