April 2017 witness slight decrease in the total number of violations against media freedoms in Palestine compared to a staggering number of violations recorded in March, which came at 51 violations. Still, violations in the month of April were still above the general average. 

The decrease came as a result of a lower number of Palestinian violations, whereas the Israeli violations remained at the same high rate reached during March.

 

The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms “MADA” monitored a total of 41 violations against media freedoms in April that included (33 violations committed by Israeli Occupation Forces and 8 violations by Palestinian parties both in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip). 

 

 

Israeli Occupation Forces committed a total of 33 attacks against media freedoms (more than 80% of all violations recorded this month). The most prominent of these violations was the closure of four libraries in Hebron and Nablus following raiding them and confiscation of some of their contents under the pretext of "incitement". The Palestine TV reporter Anaal Bassem al Jadaa was injured with a gas canister fired Israeli soldier while covering a demonstration against settlement in Kafr-Qaddum village (north of WB). Also Palestine TV cameraman, Bashar Mahmud Nazzal, was shot with a rubber bullet in the leg while covering the same demonstration. The attack on WAFA News Agency photographer, Mashhour Hasan, in Hebron and destroying his camera while covering events in the city is another incident. Additionally, April saw the renewal of administrative detention of journalist Mohammed al-Qaiq, only 10 days before his date of release. Israeli Occupation Forces brutally attacked around 14 journalists in Jerusalem whilst covering a peaceful demonstration in the city.

 

 

A total of 8 violations against media freedoms were committed by Palestinian parties during the month of April (4 violations in the Gaza strip and 4 in the West Bank) - a decrease by more than half compared to violations in March.

 

One of the most prominent Palestinian violations recorded in Gaza was the Shooting of the cameraman and photographer for Al-Tarteeb Alarabi News Network, Ahed Bassam Al-Abadi, in Gaza while covering homes demolitions in the American neighborhood in Gaza that was carried out by the authorities there. The incident caused him a serious injury in the leg. Also, the arrests of Palestine TV reporter, Taghreed Abu Tayer, for 11 days, the arrest of Palestine TV cameraman, Mohammed Abdel Rahman Al-Borai, and the head of the Palestinian Network for Press and Media, Nasr Abu al-Fool, under the pretext of 'promoting rumors’.

 

As for the West Bank, one of the most prominent violations committed by Palestinian parties was the arrest of the media student at Birzeit University, Baraa’ Mahmoud al-Qadi, for two days by the Palestinian intelligence service and reported torture during interrogation.

 

 

(1/4) Palestine TV cameraman in Qalqilya, Bashar Mahmud Nazzal, 38 years old, was shot with a rubber bullet in the leg while covering a demonstration against settlement in the village of Kufr-Qaddum. Nazzal reported to MADA: “while I was covering the Kufr-Qaddum weekly demonstration against settlement on 1-4, the Israeli soldiers began firing rubber bullets to suppress the demonstration, although we are as journalists take aside as usual away from the soldiers and demonstrators because the street is tight, but a rubber bullet hit me in the left leg,  I received field treatment inside the ambulance".

 

 

(2/4) Journalist Omar Naji Nazzal, a member of the General Secretariat of the Journalists' Syndicate (54 years old), was informed  by the Israeli occupation authorities that he is forbidden to travel outside of Palestine for two years. Nazzal, who was released recently after a 10-month in administrative detention, reported to MADA : “On Wednesday, 25 March, I went to the Palestinian Civil Liaison Office and they told me that I’m forbidden (by the Israeli authorities) to travel for two years, where I intended to travel to participate in the Journalists Union conference, they also told me that I was forbidden to obtain a permit to enter Jerusalem and the 1948 areas for 99 years, at the same time I also knew that I was not allowed to open an additional bank account, as I went to the Arab Bank for this purpose. It came to my knowledge later that an international body has received a request from the Israelis in this regard”.

 

 

(2/4) Israeli occupation forces stationed at the Nabi Saleh checkpoint in Ramallah governorate held up the news editor in the Sawt Falesteen “Voice of Palestine Radio”, Suna Abdel-Ghafer al-Deek (40 years) for about three hours, claiming that she appeared angry in the face of a soldier and threatened to arrest her if she tries to pass from that area, Al-Deek  reported to MADA: "A soldier stopped me at the Nabi Saleh checkpoint while I was on my way to Ramallah and asked for my ID, then he began to speak to me in Hebrew and asked me for a permit, so I gave him all my papers, then when he saw the Palestinian flag and scarf inside my car and demanded that I throw them out of the car, but I pretended that I didn’t understand what he said in Hebrew, he then took my cellphone and began to photograph my calls, it was when I asked him to return the phone to me that pointed his weapon towards my face and started screaming at me. He photographed me, the car, the license and my business card. After I returned to my car, a young man came and told me that the soldier asked him to talk to me because he knows Hebrew, this young man told me that I was angry in the face of the soldier, then asked if I was a Muslim or a Christian, when I told him that I’m a Muslim, the soldier said, "As I know, the Islamic religion urges you to smile in the face of others”, but that I remained angry in the face of the soldier so he will hold me for 8 hours until I apologize and throw the flag and the Palestinian scarf out, then the soldier opened the trunk of the car and wanted to search and remove the cover claiming that there is something hidden underneath.

She added: “it seems that one of the Palestinians who passed through the checkpoint called the Palestinian Civil Liaison Office, after negotiation between the two sides, the Israeli officer asked me to apologize and smile to let me go, but I refused, however after 3 hours the officer came and handed me my ID and told me in Arabic that I’m not allowed to pass from this place or else I would be arrested".

 

 

(2/4) Israeli Occupation Forces closed down Al-Bukhari library in Nablus for two months, the employee at the library, Mohammad Bsharat, reported to MADA:  "An Israeli army force arrived at the al-Bukhari library, located at the western entrance of the old campus of An-Najah University. Soldiers sealed the library and suspended a military order to close it for two months, the library’s owner Alaa Salam, (40 years) was arrested before 3 months. 

(4/4) Security forces in Gaza attacked the cameraman in AL-Tarteeb Al-Arabi News Network , Ahed Bassam Al-Abadi (24 years), they shot him in the leg which caused him serious injuries, while he was documenting the demolition process of some homes in the American neighborhood by Gaza authoroties. Al-abadi reported to MADA center: “On 4/4, Hamas security in Gaza began implementing demolition orders for houses in the American neighborhood of northern Gaza ; so I went there to cover the incident, and while I was standing next to a protest tent there, they shoot to my side, after the police left the place in a while, two military cars with armed men inside returned and began to heavily fire at us, which led me to run away from the place.” 

He added: “I could not run fast and freely due an old fracture in my leg, one of the security forces shot me in the left leg, I was taken to the hospital and received treatment until Monday 17/4.  I underwent a surgery to treat lacerations in my left leg veins, and in order to avoid amputation, the doctor decided to take the veins from my right leg and plant them in the injured one. I left the hospital having had a plastic surgery as well."

 

 

(4/4) Israeli Occupation Forces renewed the detention of the freelance journalist, Mohammed Ahmed al-Qeeq (33 years), only ten days before his planned date of release. His wife, Faiha’ Shalash reported to MADA : “Before the date of his release on 14/4/2014, the occupation authorities held a court hearing on Tuesday, 4/4 in which they presented an indictment against the journalist Mohamed al-Qeeq. They claimed that Muhammad participated in activities of of prohibited political party (the Islamic student block at Birzeit University) through sit-in support of Palestinian political prisoners. The Israeli authorities considered this as incitement."  

Shalash added: “On 6/4, the Israeli court decided to keep the detention of Mohammed al-Qaiq until the end of the legal procedures against him, which means that his detention will continue for 101 days. On 9/4 we applied an appeal against this judgment and a request to release him on bail, but so far we have not received any response. If they approved the appeal he will be released on bail, otherwise, a court hearing will be held on 7/6/2017."

She also pointed out that the journalist Mohammed al-Qeeq ended his treatment at Al-Ramleh Hospital on 18/4, and was transferred to Ohli Kedar prison in Beersheba. However, he still suffers from complications such as dizziness and abdominal pain after his hunger strike.

 

 

(9/4) Palestinian Intelligence Service arrested the Palestinian media student at Birzeit University, Baraa’ Mahmoud al-Qadi, for two days and tortured him during interrogation. Al-Qadi reported to MADA: “On Sunday 9/4, I received a phone call from the Palestinian Intelligence to come for interrogation, when I went there they took my stuff in preparation to arrest me. Immediately, two interrogators questioned me for an hour and asked about the university, my political views, and other family matters. I stayed there until night, where the director of the investigation, Abu Musab, came and interrogated me for about 30 minutes, and when he did not like my answers, he slapped me on the face, and then he tied me to the chair after blindfolding my eyes, and keeping me in this position from 8:00 pm until 3:00 am. Another officer interrogated me and asked me the same questions, and then I was taken to the cell."

He added: “The next morning, the legal counselor came and tried to take my testimony and asked me if I received money from outside parties. I replied that I had not been asked about this issue at all. When the investigation director came, they told him that I was on hunger strike, he asked me to eat and because I didn’t accept, he took off his belt and hit me with it, then they tied my hands behind, and they tied me to the door (Shabeh)  for half an hour." 

Al-Qadi also added:” The next day, on 11/4, I was sent to the court and stayed there for about half an hour but there was no court hearing, so they returned me to the Intelligence Service office and gave me back my stuff.  I also signed on my testimony in addition to a pledge to return to the Intelligence Service office on Thursday, April 13, but I did not go."

 

 

(11/4) Israeli Occupation Forces attacked Wafa news Agency photographer in Hebron, Mashhour Hassan Wahwah, 33 years, and broke his camera, then they detained him with the Palestinian TV cameraman, Thair Fakousah, 38 years, while they were covering Israeli army attacks on the citizens. Wahwah reported to MADA: “On 11/4, my colleague and I, the Palestinian TV cameraman, Thaer Faqousah, were in live coverage of the closure of the gates of the Ibrahimi Mosque by Israeli soldiers in the Old City of Hebron, which was accompanied by attacks on citizens, closure of shops, and house searches. Whilst covering of the attacks, one of the soldiers came and searched us, took my camera and threw it on the ground, which resulted in breaking it and the lens. He also hit me against the wall, and kept us in detention for about 45 minutes and then released us".

 

 

(11/4) The Palestinian Intelligence Service called Iyad Abdel Rahman al-Rifai, 24 years, an editor of the Quds News Network, and questioned him. Al-Rifai reported to MADA: “I received a phone call from the Preventive Security Service of the Jerusalem District Department at around 12:00 midnight, telling me that I’m required for investigation at their office at 12 pm the next day. I informed the journalists' Syndicate (Yusif Maharma) before I went, who told me to go and that the Syndicate would be by my side in case anything happened. When I went I was investigated for about three hours about my work and the press agencies I work with, they also interrogated me about my intervention to release $ 3,000 was transferred to a colleague of mine who worked for Al Jazeera English that was held by the Preventive Security Service. The investigator asked me why I got involved in this issue, and what happened with it, and with whom does my friend work, and whether she has relationships with political organizations. Then the investigation took another direction, asking about Hamas and other organizations, and finally he told me that he was not the person authorized to meet me and that the officer who was supposed to meet me had to leave and that he did not know exactly why I was called, so they will call me next week, or to wait for a phone call to make an appointment".

 

 

(13/4) The Palestinian Internal Security Service in Gaza arrested the news anchor of Palestine TV, Taghreed Ahmed Abu Tayer (47 years) for 11 days. Abu Tayer told MADA after her release: “On Thursday evening, 13/4, I was arrested from my house by Hamas Security Forces, I was held in Ansar prison for 11 days where I was interrogated every day -except the holidays- about a visit to Ramallah before one year and a halfbefore -I visited Ramallah for four days-, and the reasons for this visit, my contact with the Central Committee of the Fatah movement and its members, whom I met during this visit, also about my writings for the Palestinian Media Network against the division. She added "I was released without any conditions or guarantees on Sunday, April 23, 2017 after they couldn’t provide or prove what condemns me."

 

 

(17/4) An occupation army force stormed the Hossam library in Hebron and confiscated some of its contents and closed it for 17 days under the pretext of incitement. The library owner, Hossam Mohammed Rubin Nasir-Alddin (37 years) reported to MADA:” An occupation Army Force stormed Hossam's library in front of the Polytechnic University in the city of Hebron at around 1:00 am on 17/4 and closed it down until 4/5/2017 under the pretext of incitement to terrorism”.

Nasir-Alddeen added: "The soldiers broke the door of the library and searched it and confiscated the camera DVR, 5 hard disks, and 27 USB flashes according to the paper they left on the door which shows the closure decision, they weld the door, and we could not know exactly what had been confiscated from the library as It sells books and stationery and provides university services to students”.

 

 

(17/4) An occupation Army Force stormed Mohammed library in Hebron and closed it for 10 days and confiscated some of its contents. Muhannad Mohammed Abdul Shaker, (23 years), a library employee : reported to MADA “An Occupation Army Force stormed Mohammed library in Hebron at 2:00 am on 17/4. After they left, they put a paper on the library door containing what was confiscated (13 USB flash memories and 7 hard disks. The paper states the decision to close the library until 27/4 on the pretext of incitement to terrorism. 

He added: “According to two of the neighbors living near the library, the operation continued until 4:00 am”.

 

 

(17/4) Israeli soldiers stormed the two branches of the Dar al-Israa library in two separate operations within a week. They confiscated many of their contents and closed one of these branches for about three weeks. The owner of the library, Ali Taher Dandas, (30 years), told MADA Center: “An occupation army force broke-into Dar al-Israa library in Hebron at 3:00 am on April 17, and tried to break the door but one of the neighbors called me, so I went and opened the door for them. They searched the library and confiscated two computers and some documents and workbooks, and welded the library’s door. They also left an order to close the library until 4/5/2017 under the pretext of incitement to terrorism.”

He added: "On 26/4/2017, the soldiers broke-into the second branch, located near Hebron University at 1:00 am and confiscated 11 Hard-drives after searching the library, but they didn’t close it”.

 

 

(21/4) Palestine TV reporter in Qalqilya, Anaal Bassem al-Jada (27 years), was injured by a gas canister fired by an Israeli soldier during his coverage of the Kufr Qaddum weekly demonstration. Al-Jada’ reported to MADA: “while I was preparing a report with the cameraman, Bashar Nazzal, about Kufr Qaddoum’s weekly demonstration on Friday (21/4), an Israeli army force arrived and suppressed the demonstrators with rubber bullets, injuring eight people. At two o'clock while we approchaed the end of the report, my colleague and I were directly targeted by the soldiers, despite wearing the protective shield of journalists. Although we were standing away from the demonstrators and the soldiers, the soldiers fired a gas canister that hit my right leg”.

He added:” I received treatment in the field, and was then transferred to the Darwish Nazzal hospital in Qalqilya for X-rays, where found that I have minor bruises”.

 

 

(25/4) The Police in Gaza arrested the head of the Palestinian Network for Press and Media, Nasr Abu al-Ful (29 years) on the pretext of promoting rumors. Abu al-Ful reported to MADA: ”At 05:30 on Tuesday, 25/4, a military force from the General Intelligence and the police arrived at my house in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza with an arrest warrant, but I was not at home then. After my family told me about the arrest warrant, I went directly to the Sheikh Radwan Center and informed the Journalists' Syndicate. I waited there for two hours until my colleague Hazem Madi arrived, then and we were transferred to the headquarters of the Public Investigation Department, and we were arrested there at 7:30 pm. There, the director of the investigation office told me that I’m arrested by the Director of the Public Investigation Department for spreading rumors". He added:” I denied this charge, so the director of the investigation office opened my Facebook page and pointed to a specific post that I shared from the journalist Mohammed al-Bora’i Facebook page talking about the armed robbery that happened in Al-jala’ street. They asked me who paid me for republishing this news, and they accused me of belonging to Fatah movement, and that I was seeking a coup against the government. After this round of interrogation I was transferred to the prison at about 10 pm, and then to the cells".

Abu al-Ful also said: “At 8:00 am the following day I was transferred to the Electronic Crimes Unit at the General Intelligence. There, the interrogator asked me about my Facebook account and after searching it, he accused me of making problems and spreading rumors. I convinced him that I republished the story from its source. Then, I signed my statement with a commitment to respect the law and not to promote rumors. They released me at 2pm.”

 

 

(27/04) The Gaza General Investigation Department arrested Palestine TV’s video and cameraman trainer, 45 year old, Mohammed Abdel Rahman Al-Borai, for two days on charges of spreading rumors. Al-Borai reported to MADA: "I re-shared a news item about a clash between thieves and a businessman at Al Jala’ street in Gaza which led to the death of one of the attackers, the news hinted to the name of the businessman. The Investigation Department thought that I was the one who wrote the story – which I deleted ten minutes later - the internal security in Gaza issued and delivered an arrest warrant to my house. 

He added: “Based on that, I went to the Deir al-Balah Investigation Center the next day on April 27, 2017. I was interrogated about the news and its source, and whether a certain body paid me to publish the news or to promote these rumors. While being interrogated, they searched through my Facebook account to confirm my statement, and then I was asked to sign both my statement and a pledge to only publish authentic news from authentic sources. I was then kept in detention by the General Intelligence Service in Gaza until the next day when I was released at 2 pm”.

 

 

(29/4) On the 29th of April 2017, Israeli Mounted Police attacked media crews and journalists during their coverage of a peaceful protest in Occupied Jerusalem. The crowds were dispersed and around 14 journalists were brutally prohibited from covering. photographer at the French News Agency, Ahmad Kamal Gharabli reported to MADA:” around 17:00 of Saturday 29/04/2017, while, I was at the Damascus Gate in the old city/ East Jerusalem, to cover a peaceful assembly organized in solidarity with the mass hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners, meanwhile, a troop of Israeli Cavalry unit arrived to disperse the demonstrators, at that time I was attacked by one of the Israeli cavalry unit rushing towards me, I fell on the ground whilst, carrying two cameras that broke”.

He also added ” I headed to Kupat Holim and received the first aid, they advised me to have a hospital check/ examination, in the evening I headed to Al-Makased hospital, the x-ray showed that I had a fracture in the fourth rib, rather than other bruises in different parts of my body”.

Other journalists were also exposed to different types of attacks by the Israeli Police in Jerusalem including “Nawa Hijazi/ Reporter of Al KofiehTV, Ghassan Abu Eid/ Cameraman of Al KofiehTV, Ali Sami Yassin/ Cameraman of Palestine TV, Mahmoud Elyyan/ photographer of Al-Quds newspaper, Sinan Abu Mezar/ cameraman of Reuters, Diala Jwehan/ Reporter and photographer of Alhayat Aljadideh newspaper, Mohammad Awad/  photographer of Xinhua News Agency, Mustafa Al-Kharouf/ photographer of Anadolu press agency, Rami Al-khatib/ Cameraman of Palestine TV, Ammar Jamil Awad/ Cameraman of Reuters, Fayez Hamzeh Abu Rumeileh/ the photographer of (Active still and +972 magazine ) and the freelance journalist Raja’ie Al-Khatib.

 

 

 

In the Photo: The Palestine TV reporter Anaal al Jadaa injured with a gas canister in Kafr-Qaddum