The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms, MADA, documented 83 violations against Palestinian journalists in the West Bank and Gaza Strip during the past month of October, an increase of 17% compared to the previous month of September (72 violations). Most of the violations were committed by Israel, with 78 assaults, while the center recorded 4 assaults on journalists from various Palestinian entities in the West Bank, and one violation by social media companies against Al Jazeera editor Ismail Abu Omar, where the WhatsApp application owned by "Meta" permanently deleted his account on the grounds of violating publishing conditions on his channel, which has over 20,000 followers.
The center stated that the number of violations increased despite the cessation of the genocide war on the Gaza Strip and the implementation of a ceasefire on October 9, with most of the violations classified as serious assaults on media freedoms.
On October 12, journalist Saleh Al-Jafrawi was martyred by gunfire from armed men in the Al-Sabra neighborhood south of Gaza City, becoming the first journalist to lose his life after the ceasefire was announced. On the 19th of the same month, Israel launched dozens of airstrikes on Gaza, claiming to target "sites belonging to Hamas," with one of the strikes hitting the headquarters of Palestine Media Production (PMP) in central Gaza, resulting in the martyrdom of broadcast engineer Ahmed Abu Mateer and injuring photographer Ismail Jabr.
Editor and journalist at Palestine newspaper, Mohammed Al-Munirawi, was martyred during an Israeli bombardment that targeted his tent, where he had sought refuge about two months ago in Al-Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip, on the 29th of last month. Fifteen journalists in the sector managed to uncover the fate of their homes that were demolished or bombed by the occupation forces after the ceasefire agreement came into effect, while the spokesperson for the Israeli army, Nadav Shoshani, incited against journalist Moatasem Daloul through a post on X, describing him as a terrorist and a liar in his media coverage.
The total number of violations against Palestinian journalists in the Gaza Strip reached 24 violations. The Israeli media ban on the entry of international journalists into the sector has been in effect since the start of the war, leaving exhausted local journalists as the only witnesses to cover critical developments, raising concerns about transparency and hindering international efforts to independently assess the situation on the ground.
Most of the violations by the occupation forces and authorities against Palestinian journalists during the past month (54 violations) occurred while covering the olive harvest season, where groups of settlers assaulted Palestinians and prevented them from accessing their lands under the protection of occupation soldiers. The center documented the injury of 8 journalists from live ammunition, sound bombs, and gas to prevent them from covering various events in the West Bank, in addition to cases of arrest.
To prevent these scenes from reaching the world, the occupation assaults journalistic crews and forces them to leave the sites of these events and the villages that are being besieged by all means. On the 10th of this month, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers while they were harvesting olives in the town of Beita south of Nablus, setting fire to their vehicles, including the vehicle of AFP photographer Jaafar Ashteyyeh, who was beaten and taken to the hospital.
During the coverage of the attack, Wahaab Bani Mflah from Quds News Network and Saja Al-Alami from Al-Ghad TV were injured due to inhaling gas and sound bombs, while Yazan Hamayel from Al-Fajr TV was beaten. The following day (October 11), Israeli authorities extended the closure of Al Jazeera's office in Ramallah for the seventh time for 60 days under the pretext of "incitement and aiding acts of terrorism."
On the 12th of this month, Israel issued or renewed administrative detention orders against 60 Palestinians, including journalists Mohammed Muna and Samer Khweira in the West Bank. On October 19, independent American journalist Jasper Nathaniel was injured by stones when Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians who were harvesting olives in the town of Turmus Ayya in Ramallah.
Nathaniel told the Committee to Protect Journalists that he repeatedly shouted "Press... American" while fleeing from the settlers who were chasing him and the Palestinians, but his cries were ignored. MADA noted that the Palestinian Preventive Security Service arrested journalist Sami Al-Sa'i while he was in one of the streets of Tulkarm city, and he was summoned to the public prosecution on charges of "stirring sectarian strife" based on a post on Facebook. He stated that the journalist was subjected to harm, humiliation, and mistreatment
شارك برأيك
Despite the ceasefire.. 78 Israeli violations against journalists in the West Bank and Gaza