Over 20 human rights organizations sought entry to Gaza but were denied to prevent them from seeing and reporting on conditions on the ground. A delegation representing the Coordination Forum of The Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA) arrived at Erez Crossing with the required permit and were still prevented from entering.

International journalists are also banned. The AP head and Israeli Foreign Press Association chairman, Steven Gutkin, said journalists called and complained. In response, the association appealed to the government without success. "We consider it a serious problem for freedom of the press. We think that journalists have to be placed in a special category. A blanket ban on people going into Gaza should not apply to journalists," Gutkin explained.

"We are hoping that this is not the start of a policy of banning journalists from Gaza. We would like to point out that when times are tough, and when things heat up, it is important for journalists to be able to enter" and report on it.

A BBC media crew was also refused entry along with Conny Mus from Dutch television station RTL after being told he and his crew had permission.

Even Haaretz objected in a recent editorial titled: "Open Gaza to media coverage." It stated: "To serve their function sufficiently, representatives of the Israeli and international press must be in Gaza, just like in any other conflict region around the world. There is no way to cover (events there) without free access...."

Haaretz called on the Israel Press Council, journalist associations, editors, writers, and the public to "raise their voices in protest." It also asked the defense establishment "to immediately lift the media closure."

The Israeli press has been banned from entering Gaza for the past two years. Only Haaretz correspondent Amira Hass has been there. She then left and could only get back in by sea, and not easily or safely.

Orwell would appreciate how Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Peter Lerner responded: "There is no decision not to allow journalists in." The Israeli foreign ministry said no restrictive order was issued in spite of clear evidence it's being enforced.

Hostilities in Gazan Waters
The Israeli navy is also in action. It arrested three human rights activists: Darlene Wallach from America, Andrew Muncie from Britain, and Vittorio Arrigoni from Italy as they accompanied Gaza fishermen in waters nowhere near ones under Israeli control. The three were imprisoned, are on hunger strike in protest, and may face deportation or worse as Israeli justice is harsh and not forthcoming against opponents of its policies.

Under the Oslo Accords, Palestinians can fish as far out as 30 kilometers. Forty thousand fishermen and their dependents rely on their catch for their livelihoods and sustenance. Israel egregiously impedes them, and after Hamas took control of Gaza, it restricted fishing to within six kilometers of shore (in less productive shallow waters) and rigorously enforces it. Those exceeding the limit risk being shot or arrested and their boats confiscated or destroyed - another serious international law violation.

Saber Al-Hissie is one of them. He's been fishing in Gazan waters for 15 years, his father and grandfather before him. He spent half his life at sea, "but every day we face problems from Israeli gunboats," he explained. "They follow us, and then they start shooting at us because they want to force us to stop working."

Thousands of fishermen live in Gaza, mostly in and around Gaza City where the main harbor is located. Al-Hissie is one of them and describes the restrictions Israel imposes on him and others trying to earn a living from the sea.

"If we sail six miles out to sea, then maybe we will be safe. But if we go any further, the Israelis always harass us. They circle the boats, they shoot towards us, and recently they started using water cannon to attack us." He won't exceed the limit to protect his boat, but it's scared with bullet holes anyway.

He and others aren't safe wherever they fish. They're harassed and attacked daily. "Unless you see it for yourself, you cannot believe the situation we are facing," he explains. It decimated local fishing. Ten years ago, Gazan fishermen caught about 3000 tons a year. It's now less than 500 and another part of the Gaza siege, Israel's war on its people, and its ongoing slow-motion genocide. "We just want to fish and support our families," says Saber. "We are not committing any crimes, but they are."

It isn't Israel. It's Netanyahoo following in the footsteps of his mentor, Ariel Sharon. Sharon started this current entifada back in the 90s with his little field trip to the temple Mount. Obviously, he knew what the reaction would be.

My opinion is that he did it in order to have an excuse to kill more Arabs.

because the leftist loons will do whatever they can to make Israel look bad, you know make up stories like they always do!

I think it is so the truth of what is happening to the Palestinian people will not get out to the rest of the world.

Israel did not bann "leftist loons". They banned media and human rights organizations.......

STAY ON TOPIC

Why doesn't Israel want the truth to come out if they are doing nothing wrong?

what makes you think that "freedom of the press" is a world wide thing? just because we have it written in our constitution, doesn't mean it is written in everyone elses...china, iraq, russia, and a host of countries do not have and will not ever have it...

because the press lies? why do they need more people hating them? they are surrounded by terrorists, and they should just let the terrorists print whatever they want?

This is a Conservative idea of a very powerful and convincing argument. Aren't we all impressed by the power of this rhetoric?

woohoo... good idea, nice lefty view...

And yet another powerful argument. Does it ever stop?

haha, i was just wondering that same thing about you...

I think OverTheEdge is waiting for an answer. I would be interested, too.

i already answered that.. and you, being a democrat, should know that answer better than anyone...

Not to mention every aid group banned has times in one way or another to either a terrorist orginization or muslim extremist orginization.

that part was "conveniently" left out...

AND Israel has shown great restraint. They are getting screwed with and attacked by every country that borders them, not to mention the rest of the Middle East by immoral countries who worship the Pedophile Mohammud and ar certifiably insane and ready to die for their virgins and rivers of honey.

Israel is a lot better equipped and heavily armed compared to the rest of the countries dow there and could handle the situation with one simple bomb, but wont. They are costing more Israli lives by sparing Muslim lives and not dropping the bomb on them, and they get crapped on for it.

They are also constantly getting rockets fired up their a$$ and are criticized if they strike back. It's sad.

If that was your answer, then it was a pretty bad one. It seems to me that the best way to make himself look bad for sure is to ban the international press.

Israel doesn't ban Human Rights Organizations. They support them!
Like the U.S. they believe in the right of anti-Israeli organizations
to voice their opinions and protect their rights. They have a free
and open press.

Israel simply asks that Aid be provided through appropriate channels
and that all goods going into areas which have been launching pads
for terrorist attacks be suitably inspected.

Seems very reasonable and fair to me.

Israel has been more then fair.

Ridiculous. Countless Israelis and their leaders have gone to the
Temple Mount without incident over the years.

It isn't Israel, Netanyahu or Sharon. They did nothing provocative
in going to the Temple Mount. It was Arafat and Fatah who were
agitating the Intifada. Because they still wanted to try to push
Israel out of Israel. It was a stupid and counterproductive action
on the part of the Palestinians but Arafat cynically used their
anger to keep himself fat and happy and in control. The blood is on
Fatah's hands.