GAZA-ISRAEL BORDER ( CNN ) -- From a distance , smoke rises over Gaza . It is about as close as most reporters can get to the battle zone . The world 's media have been camped on the Israeli border with Gaza . Israel 's media restrictions have prevented dozens of international journalists from entering Gaza , where the Jewish state is waging an operation against militant targets . International news media are forced to report on the more than two-week-old conflict from a hill near the Gaza-Israel border . CNN relies on a local journalist in Gaza , but can not send other reporters into the Palestinian territory . In addition , Egypt is also not allowing journalists to cross its border into Gaza . `` It 's really frustrating , you ca n't be there , see there and feel it , '' said CNN 's Nic Robertson . `` And you see these pictures from the hospital , but what 's happening behind the hospital ? What 's Hamas doing ? '' Israel has accused Hamas militants of exploiting the deaths of civilians to garner international sympathy through the media . Robertson pointed out that allowing reporters into Gaza would give the world a more thorough picture of Israel 's military operation . `` The questions we would ask that go beyond the immediacy of the civilian casualties that you want to know about , but the other stuff that really informs you , '' he said . It is a very different strategy from Israel 's position during its 2006 war against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon . Then , reporters were allowed to broadcast from Israeli artillery positions . But this time , Israel has changed its tactics and is preventing international reporters from being embedded with the military to avoid interference in military operations , an Israeli government spokesman said . `` There was too much exposure , '' Daniel Seaman said . `` It had an effect on our ability to achieve strategic goals , so that 's one of the lessons we learned from the war in Lebanon . '' Some Israeli journalists are embedded with the military in Gaza but are not allowed to report from elsewhere . The Tel Aviv-based Foreign Press Association -- of which CNN is a member -- is among several groups that have criticized the restrictions . `` The unprecedented denial of access to Gaza for the world 's media amounts to a severe violation of press freedom and puts the state of Israel in the company of a handful of regimes around the world which regularly keep journalists from doing their jobs , '' the association said in a January 6 statement . John Ging , the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in Gaza , said the absence of journalists is preventing the truth from getting out . Herve Deguine , a spokesman for the Paris , France-based Reporters Without Borders , said the dangers of the current conflict do not override the need for media coverage . `` Of course it 's a dangerous place , of course journalists have to take the responsibilities and have to decide whether they want to go in or not and where they want to be , '' Deguine said . `` But banning the press to enter Gaza is just unacceptable . '' Almost two weeks into the operation , Israel did allow a western camera crew across the border . But footage shot by the BBC crew was subject to clearance by Israeli military censors . Images from inside Gaza did filter out to the world from journalists based inside Gaza who work for news agencies such as Ramattan and broadcasters like Al-Jazeera . Inside Gaza , Hamas has controlled the images broadcast by the media , and pictures of suffering have been encouraged . But the outside world has seen very few images of Hamas fighters or their rockets being fired into Israel . Both the Israeli military and Hamas have launched pages on the Web site , YouTube . Israel Defense Forces says the shared video is `` documentation of the IDF 's humane action and operational success in Operation Cast Lead . '' Hamas ' video shows graphic scenes from the fighting and also attacks its political rival , Fatah . In times of war , the line between winning and losing can come down to the public relations battle as much as the military offensive itself . But for journalists , it 's about finding a balance in the story -- a difficult task when they are unable to cover all the angles .
Israel 's media restrictions have prevented journalists from entering Gaza . Hamas accused by Israel of exploiting the deaths of civilians through media . Israel : Restrictions avoid interference in military operations . Inside Gaza Hamas has controlled the images broadcast by the media .