Israel detains two Iranian journalists

JERUSALEM (AFP) - An Israeli court on Sunday extended for two days the detention without charge of two Iranian journalists accused of breaking censorship rules during the Gaza war. "Although the court must weigh alternatives to (administrative) detention, in offences regarding threats to state security, any other alternative is impractical," judge Aaron Golds of the Petah Tikva district court said in his decision to extend the remand of the journalists detained on January 5. The court ordered the pair remain in custody for two more days and told the police to charge them. The journalists, Muhammad Sarhan and Khader Sahin, are accused of publicising the start of Israel's ground offensive in Gaza on January 3 before the military censor had cleared the information for publication. They were detained three days later.

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