‘Israeli’ police establish special unit to monitor foreign journalists entering West Bank

• A Haaretz report says ‘Israeli’ police are operating a unit in the occupied West Bank to monitor foreign journalists entering through border crossings.

‘Israeli’ police are operating a specialized unit in the occupied West Bank tasked with monitoring foreign journalists entering the territory, according to a report published Tuesday by Haaretz.

The unit reportedly works in coordination with ‘Israel’s’ Population and Immigration Authority at international entry points.

According to documents reviewed by Haaretz, the department tracks journalists’ reporting, public statements and social media activity as part of its assessments.

Journalist profiling allegations

One case highlighted in the report involved Alessandro Stefanelli, an Italian freelance journalist whose visa was revoked last year without explanation.

Police documents later accused Stefanelli of producing “one-sided” coverage critical of ‘Israel’, calling for international intervention against settler violence, and maintaining contact with militants.

Stefanelli filed a petition in an ‘Israeli’ court seeking permission to re-enter the country.

“These accusations are ridiculous in the extreme, they put me on the same list as terrorists,” Stefanelli told Haaretz. “I have trouble understanding how a police officer in a democracy can write such things.”

Gaza access restrictions

The report comes amid increasing scrutiny over restrictions faced by journalists covering the occupied Palestinian territories and the war on Gaza.

Earlier this month, ‘Israel’s’ Supreme Court postponed for the eleventh time a decision on whether foreign journalists should be granted independent access to Gaza. International media organisations have repeatedly called for unrestricted entry into the enclave.

Foreign journalists have also faced mounting obstacles while operating in ‘Israel’, including restrictions imposed on news outlets such as Al Jazeera, which Israeli authorities have accused of posing a threat to national security.

Palestinian journalists face deadly toll

Palestinian journalists, however, have faced the deadliest consequences of the war.

According to data from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), 263 Palestinian journalists have been killed by 'Israeli' fire since October 2023, while 107 have been detained.

The CPJ has described the scale of the killings and detentions as “the most deliberate effort to target journalists” in recent history.