The Foreign Press Association has called on Israel to allow news media “unrestricted” access to Gaza, off-limits to outside journalists operating independently since the conflict there began in October 2023, AFP reports.

“We call on Israel to stop the never-ending delays, uphold the fundamental principles of press freedom and allow unrestricted entry for journalists to Gaza,” the Jerusalem-based association wrote in a statement to mark World Press Freedom Day.

The FPA has more than 350 members working for foreign media outlets in Israel and the Palestinian Territories.

The association criticised Israel for an “unprecedented ban preventing foreign journalists from entering Gaza”, calling the decision a “mark of shame for a country that claims to be a beacon of democracy”.

“Nonetheless, the Israeli restrictions have severely hindered independent reporting and robbed the world of a full picture of the situation in Gaza,” the association added.