Israel Lifts Ban On Journalists

By: (AP) Israel on Friday lifted its ban on foreign journalists entering major West Bank towns taken over by its soldiers in the past 10 days, the army said.

"These are no longer closed military zones," the army spokesman's office said in a statement. "Anyone with a foreign passport, including of course journalists, can get in."

The order does not apply to Palestinian journalists, who are considered to still be covered under the curfews in effect in the towns, or to Israeli journalists, the spokesman's office said.

Israeli citizens long have not been permitted into Palestinian-ruled parts of the West Bank or Gaza Strip, though Israeli journalists have gone in despite the rule.

The ban has vastly curtailed coverage of Israel's widespread military operation, begun after a suicide bombing in Jerusalem killed 19 Israelis last week.

Israel had cited reporters' safety in barring them from the towns, saying the measures were legitimate in a combat zone, but critics viewed the restrictions as an effort to prevent unflattering coverage and to silence potential criticism.

Under the strict curfews, no one had been allowed on the streets, including reporters. Except for Jericho, all major West Bank cities and towns -- Jenin, Tulkarem, Qalqiliya, Hebron, Ramallah, Nablus, and Bethlehem -- were closed military zones.

Some journalists have been able to get into closed areas, but were taking a risk. During a previous offensive in the West Bank, Israel had threatened to revoke the press accreditation of those violating closure orders.