Your feed is flooded with news from Gaza—but have you ever stopped to ask: who’s actually allowed to report it?
The answer: Hamas. In Gaza, there is no freedom of the press. No independent reporting, no criticism allowed. And definitely no exposing corruption without risking arrest—or worse.
According to Freedom House, an organization that ranks political rights and civil liberties, Gaza scored 2 out of 100 in its latest freedom ranking. That’s not just low—it’s “Not Free.”
For context, the U.S. scores 84, and Israel scores 73. Both are considered “free.”
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees everyone the right to free expression and access to information. But in Gaza, journalists aren’t even allowed to report on Hamas’s military activities or civilian abuse. A Gazan reporter summed it up: “Hamas doesn’t want the journalists to speak out about its corruption.”
Even the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate has been sidelined. Hamas replaced it in Gaza with a fake committee that issues threats and arrest warrants to journalists who step out of line.
So the next time you hear that “news from Gaza,” remember—Hamas is holding the mic.
