Pressure and violence against journalists intensify in Israel

Heidi Levine, a photojournalist for the Washington Post, speaks with journalists at the hospital after being attacked by Israeli settlers in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, on October 16, 2026. ALI SAWAFTA/REUTERS Pressure on foreign journalists has intensified in Israel. In recent days, several international media organizations reported that their special envoys or correspondents were denied access by Israeli authorities. On Friday, October 16, the French newspaper L'Humanité stated that one of its journalists, sent to cover the elections, was suddenly notified during a layover between Paris and Tel Aviv that his electronic entry authorization, which had been granted a few days prior, was canceled. "No justification was, of course, provided to our editorial team, and our requests for explanations have gone unanswered," the newspaper said in a statement, describing it as a "clear obstruction of press freedom." Israeli authorities did not respond to Le Monde 's inquiries. This decision follows several bans imposed by Israel. A journalist from the German daily TAZ (Die Tageszeitung) , who was to be stationed as a correspondent in Jerusalem, was denied entry on Sunday, October 11, after being refused a work visa. "A serious attack on press freedom," the newspaper commented. In its rationale, relayed by Israeli media, the administration cited the content of published articles to justify its ban. Another reporter, for the British network Channel 4, was initially denied entry on October 11 before diplomatic pressure led to the reversal of that decision. You have 68.35% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.