For two years, Israel has kept tight reins on what and who gets into Gaza and the information coming out of it. CBC’s Saša Petricic gets rare, escorted, access to the region and breaks down Israel’s efforts to maintain control over the narrative of the war.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Israel and Iran have agreed a ceasefire after a twelve day conflict. Meanwhile, Israel strikes in Gaza continue with the humanitarian crisis deepening.

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Israel has tightly restricted access for foreign journalists to Gaza, allowing only controlled tours and citing security concerns. This policy has left international media with limited independent reporting, relying heavily on local Palestinian journalists, many of whom have faced significant dangers, with over 200 killed since the conflict began. 

Within Israel, media coverage often avoids broader perspectives on Gaza, focusing instead on official government narratives, a trend supported by public opinion polls. Experts suggest that Israel's strategy of limiting foreign media access has undermined its credibility internationally, with global audiences and leaders increasingly skeptical of official accounts.

How Israel tries to control the narrative around Gaza

From southern Israel, we enter Gaza. A dusty desert crossing guarded by Israeli soldiers were not allowed to show. Driving 200 meters down a barren road just into the war zone. After two years of fighting and countless requests, this is the closest that CBC, that we've been allowed inside Gaza or any other foreign media. Prevented by the Israeli military except on very very tightly controlled tours like this one. We're brought to a parking lot holding aid deliveries that Israel says it's allowing in to feed Gazans but says the U.N. is neglecting to distribute. Israel's case is made by a spokesman who can't be named. This aid are waiting for the U.N. I can tell you that but this is just waiting for them. But that's a process made difficult by Israeli restrictions says the U.N. It's not because we are sitting around drinking tea and you know waiting for someone to tell us that we're not doing our job it's because we are facing massive obstacles and obstruction and access is our biggest challenge. Access is the media's challenge too. Israel says Gaza is too dangerous for outside journalists to be allowed in freely and a security risk for soldiers. Normally that's something journalists decide for themselves in conflicts and it hasn't been Israel's policy in previous Gaza wars. This time the world's been left with few independent witnesses. Many questions. Are tens of thousands of civilians dying as Hamas officials say in Israel questions? Are Palestinians really starving as U.N. experts and NGOs say Israel denies any famine? We are forgotten. Nobody sees us says Abdullah al-Komi. Local journalists have become the eyes and ears for most media organizations including CBC. Ghada al-Kurd has filed stories for BBC, Der Spiegel and others. And we want to show the world what's really going on and for me personally actually it's something inside me. I want to tell the truth. But that must be really tough. I mean seeing that happen to people and places that you know. We don't have the time to cry. You know we are losing relatives, friends, colleagues. It's been dangerous for Palestinian reporters too. More than 200 have died since the war began. Making this the deadliest conflict for journalists ever according to media groups. Israel says some are targeted because they belong to Hamas. Usually without providing any evidence. But colleagues call it intimidation. We know that this is a threatening message for the other journalists to stop covering here because this army get angry from any voice come out from Gaza Strip. Israel's media hasn't been paying much attention to those Gaza voices. Often avoiding coverage of events there or focusing on official government versions. And polls suggest that's how Israelis like it. With a clear majority saying there's no need to present a broader picture. They wanted to create you know this combination of news with comfort to the public. Tehila Schwartz-Altshuler is a media policy expert at the Israel Democracy Institute. She says Israel's strategy of limiting access for foreign media has backfired. Israel thought that it would go to the international media and tell them you know believe us we are going to tell you what is actually happening there. And after the first lie or the second lie or the third inaccuracy I don't think that international media bought the story anymore. Israel seems to have lost the public relations war and the sympathy of many. Not just young people who march in protest from Madrid to Montreal. But world leaders who now scold Israel and recognize Palestine.

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How Israel tries to control the narrative around Gaza

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