Censored destruction: Israel blocks coverage of Iranian missile damage

During the 12-day imposed war, the occupied territories came under intense Iranian missile barrages. However, due to severe media censorship that restricts coverage, the real extent of the damage remains concealed.

Israel has acknowledged that several strategic sites and infrastructures were hit during the 12-day conflict, but due to tight press restrictions, the full scale of destruction may never be revealed.

According to Al Mayadeen, such media restrictions have a long precedent in the occupied territories, where any content—written or visual—that is deemed potentially harmful to the vaguely defined notion of “national security” can legally be suppressed.

Throughout the 12-day war, Israel further tightened its grip on wartime reporting.

In one notable incident, Israeli police shut down the broadcasts of several foreign news agencies reporting from sites struck by Iranian missiles.

Footage published by The Times of Israel showed an Israeli police officer demanding a cameraman hand over his equipment.

After coverage of missile strikes in the Haifa area—where sensitive military sites were reportedly hit—Israeli police issued warnings to the offices of foreign TV news crews.

According to the Israeli Government Press Office, which oversees journalists, under current regulations any footage or reports from “war zones or missile impact sites” must first receive written approval from the military censor.

These regulations have become especially strict when missile strikes occur near sensitive locations such as military installations, oil refineries, or other strategic infrastructure.

Jerome Bourdon, professor of media sociology at Tel Aviv University, said: “We will probably never know the full extent of the damage.”

According to Bourdon, the increasingly restricted media environment shows a clear tendency to distort narratives. This war with Iran is unfolding at a time when Israel is facing mounting global condemnation for its ongoing aggression against Gaza.

During the 12-day war, media access was frequently restricted near missile impact zones. Foreign journalists were often barred from filming wide shots or identifying exact strike locations.

In one incident in Ramat Gan, Israeli police stopped the live broadcast of two Western news outlets filming a damaged building, suspecting the footage was being sent to Al Jazeera—a network banned by Israel from operating in the occupied territories.

The police justified the move as a means of blocking “illegal content” under the directives of Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right Minister of National Security.

Critics argue these actions cross legal boundaries and are more about political posturing than genuine security concerns.

Despite the censorship, Hebrew-language media have gradually begun to release partial information about the damage caused by Iranian missiles.

The Israeli newspaper Maariv published reports detailing significant destruction and displacement as a result of Iranian missile attacks during the 12-day war.

According to Maariv, the psychological toll has also been substantial, with health officials reporting a sharp rise in trauma-related cases, as new and returning patients seek mental health support amid the prolonged crisis.

The war triggered mass evacuations of Israeli settlers, with thousands relocated to 97 reception centers and many others moved into temporary shelters.

Separate reports from the economic outlet Calcalist highlighted the financial cost of the missile strikes.

Approximately 50,000 compensation claims have been submitted by affected Israeli settlers.

Initial estimates put the direct damage at over 5 billion shekels (around $1.3 billion), though officials expect the figure to rise as more claims are processed and inspections continue.