Military now controls war coverage as Israel tightens grip on press freedom
By isabelle // 2025-06-20
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  • Israel imposes strict military censorship, requiring all media to submit reports on strike locations for approval before publication.
  • Critics condemn the move as an attempt to conceal war crimes and suppress independent journalism.
  • Violators face criminal charges, with the rules extending to social media users and private chats.
  • Israel has a history of press suppression, including banning outlets and killing journalists in Gaza.
  • The crackdown coincides with escalating attacks on Iran and Gaza, aiming to control the narrative and avoid global backlash.
In a desperate bid to control the narrative of its ongoing military aggression, Israel has imposed sweeping new censorship rules requiring all media—both domestic and international—to submit reports on missile and drone strike locations to military censors before publication. Brigadier-General Kobi Mandelblit, Israel’s chief censor, announced the draconian directive on Wednesday, effectively criminalizing independent journalism and granting the military unchecked power to suppress real-time information. The move, framed as a matter of "national security," has drawn fierce criticism from free speech advocates who warn it is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to conceal Israel’s war crimes and genocide from the world.

Military censorship now mandatory

Under the new rules, any reporting on the location of strikes—whether in print, online, or even in private chats—must first be approved by Israel’s military censor. The directive explicitly states: “Any person who prints or publishes printed matter or a publication regarding the location of a strike or hit by enemy war materiel, including missiles of any kind and UAVs, in the media or online (including social media, blogs and chats, etc.)” must submit it for pre-approval. Violators face criminal charges, with Mandelblit warning that unauthorized reporting is “liable to severely harm the security of the state.” This Orwellian measure extends beyond traditional media, targeting citizen journalists, bloggers, and even private social media users who dare to share unfiltered information about attacks. This latest crackdown is not an isolated incident but part of Israel’s long-standing suppression of press freedom. Since October 2023, Israel has killed at least 164 journalists in Gaza alone, according to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). Many more have been targeted in Lebanon, the occupied West Bank, and now Iran. In May 2024, Israel banned Al Jazeera from operating within its borders, and in November, it sanctioned the liberal Israeli newspaper Haaretz for its critical coverage of government actions. The military censor has already blocked 1,635 articles in 2024 and imposed partial restrictions on another 6,265, for an average of 21 interventions per day. The censorship extends beyond security matters, covering topics as broad as arms deals, intelligence operations, and even foreign affairs. Journalists are forbidden from indicating when parts of their reporting have been redacted, leaving readers in the dark about what they’re not being told. Israel’s media repression stands in contrast to the democratic values it claims to uphold. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Israel ranks 112th in the world for press freedom, placing it below Haiti, South Sudan, and Chad. RSF notes that “press freedom, media plurality, and editorial independence have been increasingly restricted in Israel since the start of the war in Gaza.” Unlike Western democracies, Israel maintains a military censor with the power to outright ban reporting. No comparable institution exists in the U.S., UK, or EU, where press freedom is constitutionally protected. Even during wartime, most democracies allow journalists to operate independently, but this is something Israel has systematically dismantled.

The real motive: Concealing war crimes

The timing of this crackdown is no coincidence. As Israel escalates its attacks on Iran and continues its genocidal campaign in Gaza, it seeks to control the flow of information to avoid international condemnation. Recent leaks, such as footage of the Bazan Industrial Complex strike, have exposed the devastating impact of Israeli military actions, prompting this draconian response. Critics argue that the censorship has little to do with national security and everything to do with suppressing evidence of war crimes. By criminalizing independent reporting, Israel ensures that only its sanitized, state-approved version of events reaches the public. Israel’s latest censorship rules mark a dangerous escalation in its war on truth. By forcing all media to submit to military oversight, the regime is effectively abolishing independent journalism and replacing it with state propaganda. In an era where information is power, Israel’s actions reveal a regime terrified of transparency, desperate to hide its atrocities from the world. But no amount of censorship can erase the truth forever. As history has shown, oppressive regimes that silence dissent ultimately crumble under the weight of their own lies. Sources for this article include: LifeSiteNews.com AlJazeera.com MiddleEastMonitor.com
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