Ramallah – (6 July 2019) June has witnessed a decline in the number of violations against media freedoms in Palestine, compared to May.
The Palestinian Center for Development & Media Freedoms has monitored, during June, a total of 29 attacks against media freedoms in Palestine, 28 of which were committed by the Israeli Occupation while only one attack was committed by the Palestinian authorities.
May has witnessed a dramatic rise in the number of attacks which amounted to 84, and this high rise at the time is attributed to the closure of 65 pages and accounts of journalists by the Facebook.
Israeli Attacks:
The number of Israeli attacks against media freedoms in Palestine increased in June compared with the previous month, jumping from 18 in May to 28 in June, five of which were committed in Gaza Strip while 23 in the West Bank.
As usual, plenty of the Israeli attacks registered in this month fall under the serious attacks threatening the lives of journalists, especially those registered in Gaza Strip, most prominently: the injury of the photojournalist Nidal Shafiq Ishataya (two metal gunshots), the injury of the freelance journalist Saleh Abedrabu Abdullah Qarmout (direct gas bomb at the head-above the ear), the injury of the volunteer journalist Ikhlas Al-Qrenawi (gunshot in her foot), the injury of Mohammad Kassab (direct gas bomb in the neck), the injury of the photojournalist Raed Yousef Abu Mathkour (gunshot in the leg), the arrest of the journalist amer Tawfiq Abu Halil upon raiding his house at dawn, a member of the General Secretariat of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, Omar Nazzal, was prevented from traveling, breaking into the house of the freelance journalist Mohammad Sharaf Al-Shuaibe, summon and detain him under the pretext that he did not respond to a formed call by the occupation intelligence, in addition to the deliberate attack of the occupation soldiers to the gathering of journalists while they were covering a demonstration at Al-Bireh entrance by gas bombs, resulting in the injury of 17 female/male journalists with severe suffocation and vomiting. This is in addition to issuing a traffic ticket of 1000 NIS to the photojournalist Rajai Al-Khatib deliberately claiming that he “endangered the life of a police officer” while he was covering the clashes in Issawiya in occupied Jerusalem.
Palestinian Attacks:
In an unusual precedent, July has not witnessed any Palestinian violation against media freedoms in the West Bank and Gaza Strip by the official authorities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The only Palestinian violation recorded this month was the exposure of the director of investigative journalism unit of “Watan” Network, the journalist Nizar Habash, to several telephone threats following the preparation and dissemination of the investigate on a beauty salon and its practices by the Network given that these practices have caused physical and bodily harm to some women.
This is the second month that has not witnessed any violation in the West Bank in particular, which promises a positive direction for the new Palestinian government, which has declared its commitment to protect press freedoms since its establishment about three months ago.
Details of Attacks:
(9th June) The Israeli occupation authorities banned the member of the General Secretariat of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate Omar Nazzal from traveling while he was heading to Tunisia to represent the union at the International Federation of Journalists conference held there on June 10, The journalist is still a member of the Committee to supervise the elections of the President and members of the Executive Committee of the International Federation of Journalists. The occupation authorities have prevented Nazzal from traveling since 2014, and in April 2016 he was administratively detained for 10 months without charge and has been barred from traveling for nearly five years.
(10th June) Unidentified gunmen have threatened Watan Network and the journalist Nizar Habash, who works for the Network, after he published a press investigation on some beauty salons.
According to the investigations of MADA field researcher, Watan Media Network published and broadcasted through its website, on the 10th June, an investigation prepared by the journalist Nizar Habash titled “Price of Beauty ... distortions and illusions” which addressed some of the illegal and unhealthy practices caused to several women. Few hours after the investigation was published, Watan Media Network received threats through the phone, some of which were sent to the board member of Moamer Orabi Foundation, and others were sent to the person who prepared the investigation, journalist Nizar Habash, Director of Investigative Journalism Unit at Watan Media Network. After publishing the investigation, Orabi, in the beginning, received more than one phone call where he was informed that “the investigation will affect the Palestinian economy, and will stop people to make living”. They asked him to stop publishing it, however Watan administration refused. The phone calls continued with Orabi and journalist Nizar Habash from phones with known numbers and others with unknown numbers (no called ID). Orabi received a call from a private phone (unknown caller), he and the employees where threatened that they will pay the price of this investigation if they do not delete it, and that they will be prosecuted under the Cybercrime Law. Furthermore, the journalist Nizar Habash (who prepared the report) received a threat by phone from one of the beauty salons’ owners after the investigation was published. He was threatened personally and she also threatened the foundation “I will take my right from your house” and she was shouting at him and that he caused damage to her house which made him worried especially she threatened him and his family directly. Watan Media Network has published a statement for public opinion on these threats in which she stated its refusal of these ongoing threats.
(17th June) An Israeli Army force has stormed the house of journalist Mohammad Al-Shoaibe located in Deir Ghassana, western Ramallah, searched the family houses looking for a journalist the occupation authorities wants to arrest without a charge or justification.
According to the investigations of MADA field researcher, an occupation army force, at 2:00AM, on 17th June 2019, has stormed the house of Mohammad Sharaf Al-Shuaibe, born in 1988, a freelance journalist, lives in Deir Ghassana, in Ramallah, while Mohammad was not at his house then. The soldiers searched the house, and one of them threatened Al-Shuaibe family and asked them to hand over Mohammad otherwise they will be punished by withdrawing their work permits. One of the officers asked Al-Shuaibe mother to call him from her cell phone and she did. The Israeli soldiers spoke with Mohammad and asked him to give himself up immediately to the army. At 3:00AM, the soldiers stormed the house of Tawfiq Al-Shuaibe, Mohammad’s uncle, and they also raided the houses of Mohammad’s brothers, and cousins for believing he was in their houses. At 5:00AM, the soldiers retreated from the village, amid threats to Al-Shuaibe family that they will return to arrest him if he did not give himself up. At 9:00AM on 19th June 2019, journalist Mohammad Al-Shuaibe went to the Israeli Ofer camp near Ramallah, where he gave himself up. He was detained alone until 2:00PM, then he was transferred to meet one of the investigators who questioned him for fifteen minutes. According to Mohammad, he was questioned about his disobedience to the Israeli orders by not coming to the Israeli intelligence service when he was summoned in mid-April of this year by Captain Thiab by telephone. The interrogation ended with threatening him of arrest and withdrawing all of the family permits once again. He was summoned and did not go again, and the he was released.
(24th June) An Israeli occupation army force has arrested the journalist Amer Tawfiq Mousa Abu Halil after raiding his house located in Dura, West Bank.
According to the investigations of MADA researcher, an occupation army force, at around 1:40AM, on Monday, corresponding 24th June 2019, has surrounded the house of freelance journalist Amer Tawfiq Mousa Abu Halil (25 years old), located in Al-Namous Block, Dura, southwest Hebron. The soldiers heavily knocked the main door leading to Amer’s apartment and the apartment where his family lives. His mother opened the door to see who’s out there, once she opened the door, a number of soldiers burst the house and detained her with her son Ammar (18 years old), started questioning her about her children. Once she said Amer, the soldiers asked her to show them the way to his apartment, they escorted her to the apartment of her son, journalist Amer, adjacent to theirs. The moment Amer opened the door, the soldiers burst into the apartment, detained him with his wife and mother in the living room. One of the soldiers asked Amer to bring his personal identity card, and they started searching the rooms. Five minutes later, one of the soldiers handcuffed Amer’s hands from the back and took him outside the house. At around 2:15AM, the force left the house, and arrested Amer.
(25th June) No less than 17 journalists of those working in Palestinian, Arab, and foreign media agencies were injured with suffocation and vomiting, after the occupation forces deliberately fired gas bombs at them while they were covering a condemning demonstration protesting against Bahrain workshop. It was taking place at the northern entrance of Al-Bireh, near Beit El Israeli military barrier.
According to the investigations of MADA field researcher, dozens of Palestinian citizens, at around 12:00PM, on Tuesday 25th June 2019, have demonstrated and protested against Bahrain Workshop in the Manama, after they marched in front of the medical company, which is about half a kilometer away from Beit El military checkpoint. When the march approached the checkpoint at approximately 12:30PM, the occupation soldiers fired tear gas bombs towards the demonstrators which forced them to move back towards (City Inn square and the Fuel Station) close to the checkpoint, and only then the place returned quite. In the meantime, as the journalists were getting ready to leave the area at around 12:45, after the silence fell over the area, an Israeli military jeep approached, and in one minute, fired dozens of tear gas bombs directly and deliberately towards journalists, causing many of them severe suffocation and vomiting. Among the journalists who were injured with severe suffocation: Firas Ahmad Tunaina, Director of An-Najah TV in Ramallah, An-Najah TV photographer Amjad Al-Arabeed, TRT TV reporter Ibrahim Al-Rantisi, WAFA photographer Baha Nasser, Associated Press photographer Imad Mohammad Isaid, the journalist and reporter Jane Ferguson, the photographer Matthew McGarry, the producer and journalist Fatima Abdelkareem, and the three of them work for PBS TV, Anatolia Turkish Agency, the photographer Hisham Kamel Abu Shaqra, the Photographer in the French Press Agency Abbas Momani, Reuters photographer Mohammed Turkman, Sky News photographer Firas Lutfi, and his colleague photographer Abdul Rahman Khabisa, and the freelance photographer Ramez Awad, and the reporter of Roya TV Hafez Abu Sabra, and Al-Ayam Newspaper photographer Ahmad Al-Arouri, and the freelance photographer Hadi Sbararna, and the medics were in the place and provided field first aid for female/male journalists who were injured, even though all journalists were in the PRESS and TV uniform.
The journalist Fatima Abdelkareem Al-Etifat, has stated that she has arrived with two non-Arab journalists working for PBS TV (the reporter Jane Ferguson, and the photographer Matthew McGarry) late (at around 1:00, after the march was over) and that the place was quite except that some young men were sitting tires on fire near the checkpoint and the clashes. She approached the gathering of the journalists and asked them about a secured place for the journalists. She noticed some occupation soldiers approached the journalists and asked her colleagues to put on the Press vests, even though the situation was not that serious. About fifteen minutesr later, a patrol approached the gas station near City Inn Square and began firing tear gas bombs, wounding the them and the rest of the journalists with suffocation and vomiting.
Associated Press Agency photographer Imad Mohammad Isaid, who was standing behind the City Inn Square Bus stated “it is a place far from the clashes and he wasn’t there when the Israeli patrol fired a barrage of gas bombs towards the press, and that he was suffocated and fainted for about ten minutes”.
(28th June) The journalist Nidal Shafiq Ishataya (49 years old) was injured by two metal bullets fired at him by the occupation soldiers while he was covering a demonstration in Kufr Qadoum, Qalqilya.
According to the investigations of MADA researcher, Nidal Shafiq Taher Ishtaya (49 years old), the photographer of Xinhua News Agency, has arrived at 12:20PM, on Friday, 28th June 2019, to Kufr Qadoum to cover the weekly demonstration requesting to open the town’s entrance which has been closed for years and to recover the town’s lands confiscated by the Israeli Occupation authorities for the benefit of “Qadoumim” Settlement established above the town’s lands, and he was wearing the Press uniform and helmet. When the residents launched the weekly march after Friday prayers from the mosque, the Israeli occupation forces broke into the village at approximately 1:15PM, followed the demonstrators and surrounded the houses. They began firing rubber-coated metal bullets and live bullets at the demonstrators which resulted in the injury of 9 demonstrators by metal bullets. In the meantime, the journalists, including Nidal, were stationed at a corner about 200 meters away from the clashes in the center of the village to take some pictures. The soldiers suddenly fired live bullets in different places. The demonstrators fled to hide behind the walls and started throwing stones.In the meantime (approximately 1:40), Nidal was standing at a distance of 200 meters away from the demonstrators, taking some pictures and he was injured by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left armpit. A number of demonstrators rushed and took him to the village clinic near Omar bin Al-Khattab Mosque where he received the first aid. After about half an hour, Nidal returned to complete his work as the clashes between the demonstrators and the soldiers of the occupation ended. Again, Ishataya was injured by a metal bullet in the left thigh and was taken back to the village clinic where he was given first aid, then he was taken by an ambulance of the Red Crescent at 2:30.
(28th June) The photojournalist Ahmad Riad Al-Amoudi was injured by severe suffocation while he was covering the weekly return march east of Khan Younes in Gaza Strip, causing him to lose consciousness.
According to the investigations of MADA field researcher, Ahmad Riad Al-Amoudi (29 years old), from Khan Younes Refugee Camp, a photographer of Palestine Breaking News TV, has arrived at around 3:40PM, on Friday 28th June 2019, to Khuza’a, east of Khan Younis, to cover the weekly return march. He was carrying a camera and wearing the Press vest. At around 3:50PM, he went to the medical point of the Ministry of Health, 700-800 meters away from the separation fence to take pictures of the medical staff. He was watching the soldiers deployed on the other side of the separation fence firing tear gas bombs and rubber bullets at the demonstrators. At around 4:00PM, he approached the demonstrators and stopped at a distance of 30 meters away from the fence taking pictures of the events, he was moving around between 30-100 meters away from the fence. At around 5:46 PM, he saw a young man falling to the ground five meters away from the fence after he was injured (it was found later that he was injured by a gunshot), he ran with the medical staff towards the injured person. Before he arrived the injured young man, seven meters away from the fence, the Israeli soldiers were firing gas bombs at him and the medical staff, one of which fell near his leg, causing him severe suffocation and loss of consciousness. He woke up inside the ambulance which was transferring him to the medical point 700meters away from the separation fence where he received the first aid and left at 7:10PM.
(28th June) The photojournalist Raed Yousef Abu Mathkour was injured by a gunshot in his leg fired at him by one of the occupation soldiers while he was covering a demonstration at the separation fence, east of Rafah, in Gaza Strip.
According to the investigations of MADA field researcher, Raed Yousef Abu Mathkour (33 years old), a photographer of Rowad Al-Haqiqa Network, has arrived at around 4:00PM, on Friday 28th June 2019 to eastern Rafah, to cover the weekly demonstration organized by the separation fence, and he was carrying a photographic camera. There were clashes in the area and at around 5:00PM, the soldiers stationed on the other side of the fence started firing live bullets and smoky gas bombs at the demonstrators who attempted to approach the separation fence, a number of the demonstrations were injured by live bullets. After about half an hour, he approached to a distance of 100 meters away from the fence while he continued taking photos of the events. Ten minutes later, he was injured by a gunshot in his left leg fired at him by one of the occupation soldiers. He fell to the ground, and the paramedic rushed to the location to help him. They transferred him by the ambulance to the medical point established 700 meters away from the separation fence, where he received the first aid and was taken to Abu Yousef Al-Najjar Hospital. He arrived the hospital at around 7:00PM, where he was imaged and it showed a fracture and fragments from the gunshot in his leg. The doctors could not take it out due to its small size, and they decided to put his foot in cast. He stayed in the hospital for three days and was discharged on 1st of July.
(28th June) The volunteer journalist Ikhlas Al-Qrenawi was injured by a gunshot in her foot while the journalist Mohammad Kassab was injured by a gas bomb directly in his neck.
According to the investigations of MADA field researcher, Ikhlas Ahmad Mohammad Al-Qrenawi (23 years old), from Bureij Camp, a media volunteer at the Palestinian Red Crescent in Deir Al-Balah, has arrived at around 6:00PM, on Friday 28th June 2019 east of Bureij, Gaza Strip, to cover the weekly return march, and she was wearing the Red Crescent uniform. At around 6:10PM, while she was with the Red Crescent staff at a distance of 300 meters away from the separation fence, she was injured by a gunshot in the heel of her right foot. The paramedics took her to the medical point and then she was taken to Al-Aqsa Hospital at Deir Al-Balah where she arrived at 7:20PM and was imaged. The x-ray image showed not exit of the bullet, but the doctors stitched the wound of the injury. Less than hour upon her discharge from the hospital, at around 8:00PM, she noticed blood on the other side of the injury, and she also saw the exit of the bullet. On the following day she went to a private doctor, and again imaged the place of injury. The doctor gave her antibiotic so the wound may heal. Since her injury until the present day (2nd July), she is still in her house and cannot stand up on her injured leg.
In the same location (east of Bureij), Mohammad Omar Abdullah Kassab was also injured, a freelance journalist from Deir Al-Balah, who arrived to eastern of Bureij to cover the events of the return marches at around 4:30PM on that day (Friday 28th June 2019). Two hours later, the occupation soldiers started firing gunshots and gas bombs at the citizens who arrived there for the purpose of peaceful demonstration. A number of citizens were injured, and at around 6:20PM, while he was filming the events, one of the occupation soldiers fired at Kassab a gas bomb even though he was wearing the Press uniform. His injury was on the left side of his neck and caused him bleeding. Immediately, he fell to the ground and lost consciousness for a moment. The paramedics took him to the field medical point where he received the first aid before he was taken to Al-Aqsa Hospital where he arrived at 7:00PM, made some tests and images for the head which showed no fractures. However, the bomb caused him a wound which was stitched with 7 inner stitched and one outside stitch. He was given the medications and left the hospital after one hour and a half (at around 8:30PM). After he returned home, and on the following day, he felt intense dizziness. On Sunday 30th June 2019, he returned to the hospital for checkup, and he was transferred to Al-Shifa Medical Complex, the Brain and Nerves Department. He was scheduled on 7th July 2019 to come back for the necessary tests.
(28th June) The freelance journalist Saleh Qarmout was injured by a gas bomb in the head while he was covering the events of the return peaceful march in Abu Safiya, Jabalia Camp, northern Gaza Strip.
According to the investigations of MADA field researcher, the freelance journalist Saleh Abedrabu Abdullah Qarmout (28 years old), married with two children, from Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip, continuously covers the events of the return marches and breaking the siege imposed on Gaza Strip, went at around 4:00PM, on Friday 28th June 2019 to Al-Awda Camp, Abu Safiya, northern Gaza Strip, to cover the events of the peaceful return marches organized each Friday since the 30th of March 2018. When he arrived, the place was crowded with demonstrators, he approached to a distance of 150 meters away from the separation fence to cover the events. He watched the Israeli occupation soldiers firing gunshots, rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas bombs heavily. After about half an hour of being there (at around 4:30), the Israeli occupation soldiers fired gas bombs randomly and heavily at the demonstrators and journalists who were standing close to Qarmout which led to the injury of Qarmout by a gas bomb in the left side of his head (above his ear). Immediately, he was transferred by an ambulance of the Palestinian Red Crescent 300 meters away to the south, where he received the first aid (including artificial respiration) inside the ambulance as he felt shortness in breath for inhaling great amount of gas and for losing vision clearly and feeling imbalance. He was taken by the ambulance to the field medical center one kilometer away from the demonstration, where he received the necessary first aid. After that he was transferred to the Indonesian Hospital to Al-Sheikh Zayed Hospital, northern the Strip, where he made some tests and CT scan which showed that his injury was minor to medium. Due to the absence of a neurologist, he was transferred to Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City. After being examined by a specialist, he left the hospital at about 8:30PM.
(28th June) The journalist Rajai Mahfouz Abdelhafeez Al-Khatib, from Wadi Al-Joz, Jerusalem, born on 20th Jan. 2019, a reporter of “Eyn ala Al-Quds/Eye on Jerusalem” TV Show broadcasted on the Jordanian Television, and a photographer of several other agencies including RTL and BBC, not to mention he is one of the most active Palestinian journalists in Jerusalem.
According to the investigations of MADA field researcher, the journalist Al-Khatib, at around 3:00PM, on Tuesday 28th June 2019, arrived to Al- Issawiya which was witnessing clashes between the families and the occupation forces after the occupation soldiers killed one of the town’s residents. An Israeli officer called (Ofir), in charge of the Traffic Unit, stopped him even though this officer knows that journalist Al-Khatib who travels on his motorcycles always comes to these events and he has stopped him more than once before as he always used to witness the events in Jerusalem which made him known to the Israeli police especially after his activity in filming the events in Al-Aqsa Mosque upon placing the electronic gates. When he arrived, officer Ofir called him and told him he would issue him a ticket even though he did not do anything wrong. Al-Khatib stated in this regard “I knew that (the officer) would stop me, as this is not the first time he does so, I put my helmet and prepared my driving license, and was aware that my speed was not high so I leave no excuse for the police to stop me”. When officer Ofir stopped the journalist al-Khatib and informed him he would issue him a ticket, the later objected and said he did not do anything unlawful. The officer replied “you film and defend the saboteurs” Al-Khatib replied “you are the saboteurs, you killed the young man when he was standing in front of his house” referring to the martyr Mohammad Obaid who was killed by the occupation forces in front of his house in Al-Isawiya, which made him extremely angry. The officer issued the traffic ticket claiming that “he endangered the life of the officer” with an amount of 1000 NIS (about 280 USD) then Al-Khatib was referred to field investigation to the Intelligence. He was questioned whether he received a phone call from any of Al-Isawiya residents about any clashes, and other questions about the reasons why he was there.
The journalist Rajai Al-Khatib says that he will not pay the amount of the ticket and he will assign an attorney for the charge of “an officer exploitation of his position for revenge”. According to him, he believes the mentioned officer incites his colleagues against the active journalists – did not mention any of their names except for his brother Rami – and that he can distinguish their motorcycles, and he tries to stop them each time deliberately claiming that what journalists do moves the Palestinians and incites them to execute operations” and for knowing that media has great role in exposing the violations of the occupation in Jerusalem.
The photojournalist Ahmad Al-Amoudi injured by severe suffocation while he was covering the weekly return march east of Khan Younes in Gaza Strip,
