“MADA”: 36 violations against media freedoms in Palestine during December 2019

Ramallah (02/01/2020) – The last month of 2019, December, has witnessed a decrease in the number of violations against media freedoms in Palestine compared to November. The Palestinian Center for Development & Media Freedoms (MADA) has documented a total of 36 violations during December compared to 78 violations against media freedoms documented during November.

The violations committed by Facebook represent half of the total violations against media freedoms in Palestine during December 2019. Facebook has closed or blocked or prevented from posting a total of 15 news pages and one page belonging to Palestinian journalists from the West Bank and Gaza Strip, claiming that they have violated the standards of posting on Facebook.Although the blocking of some pages was because of old posts published years ago, not to mention it was done without any prior notification.

Israeli Violations:

The number of Israeli violations committed during December reached 15, which is considered less than the number of violations committed in November, totaled to 54 Israeli attacks, most of which fall under the serious assaults against media freedoms and the life of journalists. It should be mentioned that 19 of these attacks were injuries caused to Palestinian journalists by Israeli bullets and bombs fired at them directly.

The Israeli assaults committed during December 2019 included the arrest of Palestine TV staff in the occupied city of Jerusalem by the Israeli occupation police and Intelligence. The staff included (the TV reporter Christine Waleed Rinawi, the Programs presented Dana Ghazi Abu Shamsiya, the cameramen Ameer Mohammad KhaleelAbedrabo, and Ali Sami MousaYasine) while they were broadcasting an episode of “Good Morning, Jerusalem” show. This was two weeks after the occupation forces raided the TV headquarters in Jerusalem and closed its offices for six months. This is in addition to the injury of journalist ThaerFahmi Abu Rayash by a rubber bullet in the thigh while he was covering the events of the return peaceful march in Gaza, the arrest of the journalist Bushra Al-Taweel from her house in Al-Bireh, West Bank, the arrest of the programs presenter at “Alam” Radio SamehJaber Al-Teti from his house located in Hebron, as well as the journalist Sari Jaradat (summoning and questioning), Azmi Waleed Banat (detention and deletion of filmed material), Hamza Mohammad Al-Hattab (prevention of coverage) the Syrian News TV saffJeriesAzer and Sameer Saqf Al-Hait (detention), and Abdelrahman Mohammad Hassan (summoning and questioning).

Palestinian Violations:

A total of six Palestinian violations were documented during December, four of which have taken place in Gaza Strip while two in the West Bank, noting that in November only one violation has taken place in Gaza Strip.

The violations which took place in Gaza Strip have affected the journalist of AL-Jadid Website, Ahmad Maher Jodah, who was summoned and questioned twice, during which he was subject to physical torture by the internal security officers. This is in addition to summoning the journalist Ihab Omar Al-Fasfous, and threatening to arrest him due to his posts on Facebook. As to the West Bank, the violations were restricted to an assault that was committed twice by an anonymous group of people targeting the vehicle of journalist Hassan Mahmoud Abdeljawad, the reporter of Al-Ayyam Newspaper, and the member of the Syndicate of journalists General Secretariat. The glass of Abdeljawad’s vehicle was smashed while it was parked in front of his house twice in less than three weeks (by 18 days apart between the first and the second assault).

Details of the Violations:

(2^nd Dec.)The Israeli military police summoned the journalist Sari Jaradat (33 years old) and questioned him on the death of the young man Omar Al-Badawi, from Arroubd Camp, northern Hebron.

According to the investigations of MADA researcher, Sari Sharif AbdelghaffarJaradat (33 years old), from Sa’er, northern Hebron, a cameraman and reporter of Al-MayadeenTV and Ikhlas Turkish Agency, has received a phone call, on Monday morning corresponding 2^nd Dec. 2019, from a person who introduced himself as an officer of the Israeli Intelligence Services (Shabak).The officer asked Jaradat to come to the Israeli military liaison office headquarters, southern Hebron, at 1:00PM, on Tuesday, 3^rd Dec. 2019, to appear in front of Israeli military police and be questioned about the killing of the young man Omar Haitham Al-Badawi (24 years old),from Arroub Refugee Camp, northern Hebron, by the Israeli occupation soldiers. On 11^th Nov. 2019, Jaradat filmed a video clip of Al-Badawi when he was shot by the Israeli occupation soldiers. The journalist Jaradat arrived to the military liaison office, at around 12:30PM, waited for half an hour before he entered a room along with one of the soldiers. He was thoroughly frisked and the soldier asked him to put his cell phone in the safety box. Then Jaradat was taken to a room inside of which there was an investigator of the military police and an interpreter. Jaradat was questioned about the nature of his work, the media agency he works for, and then the investigator asked him why was at ArroubCamp on 11^th Nov. 2019. After a long discussion between the two of them, the investigator asked Jaradat to tell him what has happened with the martyr Haitham Al-Badawi, and how he was shot dead by one of the soldiers. Jaradat told the investigator what happened indeed and that the martyr did not represent a threat to the soldiers. The session lasted for three hours and a half, and Jaradat left the headquarters at around 4:30PM.

(5^th Dec.) At around 9:00AM, on Wednesday 5^th Dec. 2019, Palestine TV reporter, Azmi Waleed Mahmoud Banat, (24 years old) from Arroub Refugee Camp, northern Hebron, arrived to the southern entrance of the camp, across the military tower of the occupation army, while he was heading to work, central Hebron, along with his friends. Upon his arrival, an army patrol arrived and parked near the military tower. The soldiers stepped out of the vehicle and one of the arrested citizens was handcuffed and blindfolded. Banat recognized the blindfolded man, he was the Lieutenant Colonel of the Palestinian Police Ghassan Abu Farah, from Souref, whom he is friends with. Banat, took some pictures of arresting Abu Farhausing his cell phone. In the meantime, one of the detained citizens with Azmi was filming what was happening using his cell phone. One of the soldiers approached and asked him to give him his phone with which he was filming the soldiers. After arguing, the soldiers seized the cell phone, and another soldier approached the journalist Banat and ordered him to give his cell phone. When Banat asked the soldier about the reason behind this order, he told him that one of the soldiers on the military tower saw him photographing the soldiers.

After arguing for several minutes, the soldier seized Banat’s cell phone and took his personal identity card and press card. They detained him along with another number of citizens who were there. The journalist Banat tried to explain to the soldiers that he is a journalist and he has the right to film, but the soldiers refused to let him do so. Banat was detained for three hours and then the soldiers opened his cell phone, deleted the photos taken for them and then they gave him back the cell phone, personal identity card and the press card. Banat left the location at about 12:00PM.

(6^th Dec.) The Israeli Police and Intelligence arrested Palestine TV staff in the occupied city of Jerusalem. The staff included the TV reporter Christine Waleed Rinawi, the Programs Presenter Dana Ghazi Abu Shamsiya, the cameramen Ameer Mohammad Khalil Abedrabo, and Sami MousaYasine while they were broadcasting an episode of “Good Morning, Jerusalem” Show, two weeks after the occupation forces raided the TV Headquarters in Jerusalem and closed its officers for six months.

According to the investigations of MADA researcher, at 9:00AM, on Friday morning, corresponding 6^th Dec. 2019, Palestine TV staff in Jerusalem, like the usual, started broadcasting an episode of “Good Morning, Jerusalem” Show, from different locations in Jerusalem City, two weeks after the occupation forces closed raided and closed its headquarters (closed after raided on 20^th Nov. 2019, as the TV reporter, Christine Rinawi, in the meantime was arrested and released afterwards without any restrictions). The occupation forces did not oppose the TV staff work in the week that followed the closure. But when the staff, on the morning of 6^th Dec. 2019, before the start of the first segment of “Good Morning, Jerusalem” Show, went to Mormons area in the Mount of Olive, they found that special Israeli forces were waiting for them. The forces seized the identity card of the show guest, the Minister of Jerusalem Affairs, Fadi Al-Hadmi, which forced the team to change the set, and move to another location in the Mount of Olive. The presenter of the show, Dana Ghazai Abu Shamsiya, started broadcasting the episode at 9:00AM, with her coworker, the cameraman Ameer Mohammad Khalil Abedrabo. The staff finished the first interview which lasted for 20 minutes without any interference.

Later, the staff moved to the next segment of the show, which involved a live interview with reporter Christine Khaled Waleed Rinawi, who was along with the cameraman Ali Sami MousaYasine, located somewhere else (in front of Damascus Gate). At this moment, at around 9:25AM, two white GMC vehicles raided the location, in addition to one Israeli police vehicle. A policeman approached the cameraman Abedrabo and asked him to take out the battery of the camera and stop broadcasting. Abedrabo and his coworker Dana Abu Shamsiya were arrested. Rinawi learned about the detention while she was broadcasting live from the Damascus Gate (another location), and she rushed to end the episode and announce live that her coworkers were arrested and that she may be arrested as well since she saw some Israeli security and intelligence officers nearby waiting for her to finish her aid broadcasting so the arrest will not aired. Indeed, the four journalists were arrested from the broadcast location they were in, and all of their equipment, cameras and broadcasting devices were seized in addition to their cell phones. Also, the staff was taken to the investigation center and detained until 2:15PM, and they were released on the condition not to work for Palestine TV at all claiming that they “are violating the decision of closing Palestine TV office in Jerusalem”. Moreover, they were banned from working inside Jerusalem and the occupied territories of 1948, and they were also prevented from contacting their colleagues and their administration for 15 days, not to mention paying a financial fine of 2000 NIS in case they breach the decision or contact the staff.

It should be noted that Palestine TV staff have consulted a group of lawyers during the days after closing Jerusalem Office, to ensure their continuity of work from the field. However, the lawyers had contradicted opinions; some indicated that it is risky to continued working because they will breach the decision of closure, while others said there will be no legal problem if they continued working, and the latter advice was adopted.

(9^th Dec.)The Israeli occupation soldiers prevented the photojournalist Hamza Mohammad Hattab from covering the events in Hebron City, detained him for a short period of time, and seized his camera.

According to MADA researcher, Hamza Mohammad Mahmoud Al-Hattab (33 years old), a reporter of Palestine News Agency (WAFA), has arrived at around 1:00PM, on Monday, corresponding 9^th Dec. 2019, to Bab Al-Zawiya area, in Hebron to cover the clashes between the Palestinians who were throwing stones and the Israeli occupation soldiers, around the military checkpoint, located at the entrance of Al-Shuhada Street which is closed, and does not lead to central Hebron. The soldiers were deployed in the location, throwing sound bombs and gas bombs towards the Palestinians who were throwing stones and closed the road leading to the checkpoint using the burning tires. In the meantime, a Palestinian lady, in the fifties, along with her son, approached the said military checkpoint, to cross it and go to their house located in Tal Al-Ramida, at around 2:30PM. The soldiers prevented the lady and her son to approach and asked them to move away and stop at a distance of 70 meters away from the checkpoint. The soldiers detained her son and physically searched him, while a female soldier approached the Palestinian lady and started to loudly talking to her. The journalist Hattab started filming what was happening, and in the meantime one of the soldiers rushed towards the journalist Hattab and ordered him to stop filming, he pulled the camera from his hands. The journalist Hattab asked the soldier for the reason behind this act, but the latter refused to reply and asked the journalist to give his personal identity card and press card. The detention of journalist Hattab lasted for 15 minutes (up until 2:45PM) for security check claims. Then the soldier gave the journalist Hattab his belongings and asked him to move away from the area, claiming it a special area for the soldiers and to prevent him covering what was happening.

(9^th Dec.)The Israeli occupation soldiers detained the journalists Sameer Saqf Al-Hait and JeriesAzer (from the Syrian News Agency) while they were on their way to Hebron City to cover the strike and clashes in the city.

According to the investigations of MADA researcher, the journalists Jeries Khalil Azer (30 years old), from the Syrian News TV reporter, and Mutasem Sameer Saqf Al-Hait (32 years old), the cameramen of the TV, have arrived at 12:25PM, on 9^th Dec. 2019, to the Israeli military checkpoint, located on the road to Hebron City, known as the Container Checkpoint while they were heading to Hebron City to cover the strike and clashes in Hebron on that day against the settlement occupation policies. As soon as Azer and Saqf Al-Hait arrived arrived the checkpoint in their vehicle which Saqf Al-Hait was driving, a soldier ordered them to stop for search purposes and asked for their identity cards, and they both told her that they are journalists. The Israeli soldier asked for their press cards as well. Later, the soldier detained them for half an hour and then questioned them about their press work, and took pictures of their identity and press cards, as well as the car that they were driving and its plate. In addition, the soldier took pictures of each one of them separately, searched the vehicle thoroughly and let them go.

(9^th Dec.)The Israeli Occupation Army arrested the journalist Sameh Al-Titi form his house located in Arroub Camp, northern Hebron, in the West Bank.

According to the investigations of MADA researcher, the family of SamehJaber Ali Al-Titi (24 years old) a reporter and news presented at Alam local Radio, lives with his wife and children in Arroud Camp, northern Hebron, was surprised by a force of the Israeli occupation army blowing up the their front door at around 3:00AM, on Monday 9^th Dec. 2019, without any prior alarm. The force raided the house while the family members were asleep. The Israeli soldiers entered Sameh’s room directly and handcuffed him, and they stayed in the room with him for half an hour approximately, while the family members heard the soldiers asking Sameh about his cell phone and personal laptop. The Israeli soldiers arrested him and tried to take him out in his pajamas and with no shoes. His family members started objecting and the officer allowed him to put on a jacket and shoes. The soldiers seized two cell phones and a laptop belonging to Sameh. The family found out later that they lost an amount of 3000 NIS (few hours after the soldiers left the house).

(9^th Dec.)The Internal Security Services arrested the journalist Ahmad Maher Jodah, twice, questioned him, and subjected him to some practices that represent a sort of severe physical torture for long hours, on the background of his posts on the Field Hospital established by the USA in Gaza Strip, and run by Hamas.

According to the investigations of MADA researcher, Ahmad Maher Mahmoud Jodah (26 years old) works for “Al-Jadid” Website, went by himself, at around 9:00AM, on Monday 9^th Dec. 2019, to the Internal Security headquarters in Al-Sheikh Zayed area, after he was summoned earlier on Sunday (8^th Dec. 2019). He was accompanied by his father Dr. Maher Jodah. Once he arrived, he was placed in a solitary confinement for an hour. Then he was taken to the investigation room where he was questioned for 20 minutes. He was questioned about his Facebook posts in which he attacked the American Field Hospital that was being established in Gaza, and about some people who reacted to his posts, and then he was taken back to the cell. At around 2:00PM, one of the Internal Security officers came and forced him to do some hard exercises until 5:30PM (are these the hard military exercises … or the post-hard exercises). When he told them that he cannot continue, they forced him (to stand up on one foot for an hour, and do 100 pushups, and 100 abs, the cross-legged exercise, and standing on the toes). At around 6:00PM, he was released and ordered to come back to the Internal Security Headquarters at around 9:00AM on the following morning (Tuesday 10^th Dec. 2019). Indeed, Jodah came back to the Internal Security headquarters on the mentioned schedule and immediately was taken to the cell. At around 10:30AM, an officer came and asked him to take off his jacket, shoes and socks. It was a rainy day, and he forced him again to do the military hard exercise until 2:00PM, then he was released after forcing him to write down a pledge “not to refer to the American Field Hospital ever again and to abide by the general laws”.

(10^th Dec.)The Israeli Intelligence Services “Shabak” summoned the freelance journalist AbdelrahmanAbdelkareem to come to the headquarters located in “Gush Etzion” and questioned him.

According to the investigations of MADA researcher, the freelance journalist AbdelrahmanAbdelkareem Mohammad Hassan (32 years old), from Bethlehem, has received at 4:00PM, on Tuesday 10^th Dec. 2019, a phone call from a person who introduced himself as an officer from the Israeli Intelligence Service “Shabak” and informed him that he needs to come to the headquarters located in Gush Etzion Settlement, southern Bethlehem. This was at around 9:00AM, on the following morning, (Wednesday 11^th Dec. 2019).

On the following morning, Wednesday, 11^th Dec. 2019, the journalist Abdelrahman arrived to the headquarters at 9:30AM, and waited for a long time before he was asked to enter a room where he was thoroughly searched. Then he was taken to a room inside of which there was an investigator who started asking Abdelrahman questions about the nature of his work and the media agency he works for as well as why was he at Arroun Refugee Camp, northern Hebron, 11^th Nov. 2019 when Omar Al-Badawi was killed. The journalist Hassan told the investigator that he was in Taqou to cover some events there, as he learned that there were clashes taking place in Arroub Refugee Camp, northern Hebron. That is why he went to Arroub Camp along with his colleague, journalist MoathAmarneh.

The investigator asked journalist Hassan whether he threw a flammable bottle in the clashes that was taking place in Arroub camp. The journalist replied that he does not know exactly, and that he saw the fire starting in the wall of a random house and it reached his shirt so he entered the house to check himself. Moments later, he saw Al-Badawi (did not know him personally) coming to the entrance of the house to put down the fire, but later he was shot and fell down the stairs.

Afterwards, the investigator questioned the journalist Abdelrahman whether he has been arrested earlier by Israel and told him that his press work cause them stress. Abdelrahman replied that this is his job and he does not breach the security of any authority, and that he is only in the field just like any other journalists to cover the events. Abdelrahman added that if his press work would cause him troubles, then he is willing to leave it. The investigator was surprised and said that they have no problem with his work as a journalist. The investigation session lasted until 1:30PM (for four hours) and the journalist Abdelrahman left the headquarters after he received his cell phone back.

(11th Dec.) The Israeli occupation forces arrested the journalist Bushra Al-Taweel from her family house in Al-Bireh City, West Bank.

According to MADA researcher, a force of the Israeli occupation army stormed the house of the journalist Bushra Al-Taweel’s family, who works as a media spokesperson in the name of “Aneen Al-Qaid” network, located at Umm Al-Sharayet, in the city of Al-Bireh. Immediately after storming the house, the occupation soldiers detained the family members in two rooms, where Bushra’s father, Jamal Al-Tawil (released from the Israeli occupation prisons a few days ago), was placed in a room, and the rest of the family members in another room, and they carefully searched the house, and then informed the family they will arrest Bushra without disclosing the reason. The officer told her father that she will be arrested “because she is annoying and her voice is loud,” which is clearly related to her press work. Immediately after being informed of her arrest by the Israeli officer, the journalist, Bushra, announced her hunger and water strike. The Israeli soldiers seized the cell phones of the journalist, Bushra Al-Taweel, and they took about two hours to storm and search the house.

It should be noted that the occupation army has already arrested Bushra Al-Taweel three times before. The last of which was in the 1st Nov. 2017 as she was administratively arrested (without any accusation) for 8 months.

(20th Dec.) The photojournalist Thaer Abu Rayash was injured by a rubber bullet fired at him by the Israeli Occupation soldiers while he was covering the peaceful return march east of Jabalia, Gaza Strip.

According to the investigations of MADA researcher, Thaer Khaled Fahmi Abu Rayash (25 years old) a photojournalist at “Al-Shamal Online Network”, went afternoon on Friday 20th Dec. 2019, to Abu Safiya area, east of Jabalia to cover the peaceful return march organized weekly against the ongoing siege over Gaza Strip. At approximately 4:10PM., Abu Rayash was located about 150 meters away from the separation fence, on the other side of which the Israeli occupation soldiers were deployed. He was near an ambulance team of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. They came there to rescue a demonstrator who was injured while Abu Rayash was taking pictures. The occupation soldiers fired dozens of gas bombs towards the demonstrators there to disperse them, while one of the soldiers fired a rubber bullet that injured the photojournalist Abu Rayash in the left thigh, even though he was wearing the Press uniform. Immediately, the paramedics rushed him to field medical point 700 meters away from the separation fence where he stayed for fifteen minutes and the doctors made him some tests then he was transferred to Al-Awda Hospital northern Gaza, where he was x-rayed and it showed a bruise full of blood in the place of injury. The doctors recommended him with physical therapy for fear the injury would aggravate and leaf to severe damage on the far future which may result in disability.

(23rd Dec.) The Internal Security Service in Khan Younes summoned the freelance journalist Ihab Omar Al-Fasfous and questioned him on his Facebook posts, threatened him with arrest in case he did not stop posting “what offends” Hamas.

According to the investigations of MADA researcher, A white vehicle belonging to the Internal Security Service with two officers in civilian clothes arrived around 11:00AM on Monday, 23rd December 2019, the house of freelance journalist Ihab Omar YusefFasfous, (46 years old), who lives downtown Khan Yunis, and gave his son Maher (10 Years old) a notification in the name of his father (Ihab Omar Fasfous), to go to the Internal Security Service headquarters in Khan Yunis on Wednesday 25th Dec. 2019, without clarifying the reasons.

At the mentioned date (Wednesday – 25th Dec. 2019), journalist Ehab did not go to the Internal Security Service, at the request of his brother Osama Fasfous (50 years old), who works in the Tribal Affairs Authority, who in turn called a worker in the Public Relations Department of the Internal Security Service and the aforementioned asked him to come with his brother, journalist IhabFasfous, on Sunday 29th Dec. 2019. Accordingly, Ihab went with his brother on the above-mentioned date (Sunday 29th Dec. 2019) to the Internal Security Service headquarters where they arrived at 10:00AM. Then went to see the person who talked to them from the Public Relations Department where there were four officers who asked him: “who moves and directs you? Who got your back? On whom you rely?”.

Their interrogations focused on the necessity of him stop working as a journalist and publishing what offends Hamas via his Facebook page. This included asking him about the number of times he was summoned and questioned and warned not to publish what offends Hamas, pointing to two posts on his page, one of which the journalist Fasfous talks about how he defies the journalist Tamer Al-Mishal to unveil the corruption and bribes in the crossings, cigarettes and transactions in Gaza in his show “Ma KhafiyaKAnA’tham (What is not told is even greater) which he broadcasts through Al-Jazeera. As for the second post, it is posted in solidarity with the writer Shawkat Abu Safiya, who was arrested by the Internal Security Service on the background of writing about the American Hospital. The Internal Security Officers warned him: “this is your last time, next time we will deal with you differently, you have a heart disease, and we do not want to do that, so do not interfere in anything, otherwise, next time we will keep you hear for six months”. Fasfous and his brother left the headquarters after an hour and a half, at almost 12:00PM.

(24^th Nov.) Anonymous persons attacked the vehicle of journalist Hassan Abdeljawad (a white Nissan Jeep) twice and shattered its back glass while parked in front of his house during the night hours.

According to the investigations of Mada researcher, journalist Hassan Mahmoud Abdeljawad Al-Fararjeh (65 years old), reporter of Al-Ayyam newspaper and member of the General Secretariat of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (has been working in the press field for more than four decades), suddenly heard at 2:00AM on Sunday 24th Nov. 2019 loud sound outside the house, so he went out carrying a small lamp to see what happened, and saw that the outside door of the house was closed as he noticed his neighbor also came out to see the source of the sound. However, Abdeljawad and his neighbor went back home without knowing what was actually happening.

Then the worker who distributes the newspaper with Abdeljawad came, at 3:00AM, and took Abdeljawad’s second car but did not see also what was happening then. When he finished his usual work at 5:30AM, he saw the glass of Abdeljawad’s jeep shattered using bricks and he immediately informed him. Abdeljawad called the police and filed a complaint at the police at 8:30AM. He informed the Insurance Company at 9:00AM, and it repaired the car. The Governor of Bethlehem, Kamel Hamid, and the Police Director of the Governor, Colonel Tariq Al-Hajj, followed this case with significant attention, as the General Investigation came to examine the location of the accident, but they did not inform Abdeljawad later on any results regarding the attack, which Abdeljawad believed might be "a passing attack and will not be repeated”.

However, at 5:30AM on Thursday, 12th Dec. 2019, Ghassan, the son of journalist Hassan Abdeljawad, woke up on a similar sound, he discovered that the attack was repeated in the same previous manner, which is breaking the back glass of the same jeep with a brick that remained inside the car and caused more damage this time to the rear structure of the jeep. Journalist Abdeljawad immediately called the police 100 to request assistance and file a complaint, and one of the police officers answered that no one was there to help and asked him to come at 8:30AM. At 7:30AM, Abdeljawad called Bethlehem Governor who did not answer the phone but called back at 8:30 and learned about what has happened and condemned the attack.

The Governor ordered the formation of a special committee from the security services to follow up on this matter, and the Director of Bethlehem Police Department, Colonel Tariq Al-Hajj, sent a team of criminal investigation to find out what happened at the scene of the accident at 8:30AM. The Palestinian Intelligence Service also sent a crew to follow up on the matter at the same location at the same time, as well as the Preventive Security Service that also organized a visit to Abdeljawad’s house in the evening hours of the same day, for the same purpose as well, while the National Security Forces issued statements denouncing the attack that targeted the journalist, Abdeljawad.

(December 2019) Facebook has deleted and closed in December 2019 no less than 15 pages belonging to Palestinian journalists and media agencies in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including:

Journalist Omar NajiNazzal (59 years old), from Ramallah, a member of the General Secretariat of the Syndicate of Journalists, a producer and director of television films and reports, works at Clackate Media & Communications, who received three messages from Facebook Company, one of which informed him that he is suspended from posting until 17th Feb. 2020, and then this suspension was extended until 13th Oct. 2020. Furthermore, one of his posts criticizing the new American envoy of the peace process “Berkowitz” in September 2019, without receiving any notification in advance.
Journalist Ameen Abdelaziz Abu Warda (53 years old) from Nablus, works for Asda’ Press Website, whose page was blocked on 25th Oct. 2019, without clear alert as he only received a notification that he was suspended “due to violating the Facebook policies and invasion of privacy”. Abu Warda recovered his account several times through specialized people, but with no use. On 18th Dec. 2019, the page started to appear to Abu Warda as an admin without allowing him to post.
JournalistAmro Ahmad Mahmoud Hassan Tabash (23 years old), a reporter of Al-Kufiyya TV, broadcasting from Cairo, whose page was blocked on 21st Oct. 2019 due to an old post he published in 2015 on the death anniversary of the founder of Hamas Movement, Sheikh Ahmad Yaseen (he was banned to repost old posts without clear alert). After he contacted some specialists to recover his pages, few days later, he was blocked to post and the page was closed for about 15 times. He received notifications that “he violated the privacy of Facebook and the page standards”. As a result, he created a new account, but was blocked and is still closed until the time this report was prepared (30th Dec. 2019).
Journalist Jamal Abedrabo Mohammad Adwan (30 years old), from Rafah, works for Al-Aqsa TV. On 14th Dec. 2019, his Facebook account was disabled noting that he was using it to publish news, and it was disabled without clear prior alert. He filed a complaint to the Company, and his account was recovered five days after it was closed, but reaction remained restricted. After that, he opened three consecutive accounts without any information about him and an hour later, the account was closed. As a result, he contacted specialists and an account was created for him by one of them, adding 2400 friends and three posts only. One week later, the account was closed. On 24th Dec. 2019, the account was closed for the sixth time noting that in the past times he used to receive message (you have violated the privacy standards seriously which is why your account has been deactivated) even though disabling the account does not allow contacting the Company to try to recover it.
Journalist Mohammad Ghazi Kamel Al-Ghareeb (37 years old), works for Korat Baladna Al-Riyadeya Website, Rafah. The page of the aforementioned website on Facebook was closed on 24th Dec. 2019 without giving any clear reason, knowing that the page has been operating for about ten years, and on 26th Dec. 2019 he created another page, but after two days it was closed, and after that he created three accounts in a row, but every time it was closed, the main account of the website is still closed, even though the page has no relationship to politics and is concerned with sports news and issues only.
Journalist Adli Mohammad Mustafa Taha (28 years old), from Rafah, works for Al-Kufiya TV. The page (which had 12,000 followers) was blocked for the first time in November of 2018, as it was posting about the events of the Israeli bombing of Gaza Strip and the news of the martyrs. Two days later, another account was created that was not disabled but there was a restriction on some posts on the pretext of violating Facebook Standards. In November 2019 (after a full year has passed) the account has been completely disabled, and the Facebook was contacted and it responded that the account could not be recovered. Then he created another account, but after hours it was also disabled, and after that he contacted his friends in Europe to create two accounts, but they were also disabled, and he tried to create about ten alternative accounts, but it was after about an hour that they were disabled, they remained disabled until 22nd Dec. 2019, when he created a new account that is still active until now (30th Dec. 2019).
Wael Mohammad Abu Muhsen (32 years old), from Rafah, works for Smart Media Services Center in Rafah. In December 2018, Facebook restricted the reaction on his account by the followers (in terms of commenting) even though he has 25,000 followers. Forty-five days after his account was disabled without prior alert or clear cause, Facebook Company was contacted but with no use. Then around 50 alternative accounts were created but once any of the accounts was created, it was disabled immediately within two days. He contacted a number of specialists but with no use.
JournalistSamer Ameen SaedKhouira (28 years old), from Nablus and works as an anchor at "Hayat Radio", based in Nablus. He was prevented from posting on several pages he is an admin in, namely: “The journalist SamerKhouira” page, “Hayat Radio page” and the “Holy Quran Radio” page, without prior and clear alert, knowing that he was prevented from live streaming through on his personal account in the period between 8th Nov. 2019 -11th Nov. 2019, due to the publication of a report about the bombing of Gaza Strip on 14th Nov. 2019, after which the live broadcast service was restored, but he is still prohibited from publishing on the aforementioned pages.
The writer, journalistHafeth Al-Barghouthi, (67 years old), from Ramallah, the previous editor-in-chief of Al-Hayat Al-Jadeeda newspaper (currently retired). His account was blocked in December 2019 for two months, due to old news that was published on his page in 2014 praising Hezbollah's acquittal of the Palestinians in Lebanon from the bombings that took place in Beirut. Also, his account was blocked because of another post 8 years ago which is a picture of one of engraved caves that says that the martyr YahiaAyyash was hiding in it when the Israeli occupation forces were chasing him. Al-Barghouti tried to contact specialists to find out the reason for the blocking, and he contacted the Facebook Company that told him that the reason for the blocking was due to "violating privacy standards”.
Dooz News Page: on 13th Nov. 2019, this page was blocked because of old news published on the page since 2014 entitled: “Hamas Spokesman: We confirm reaching a cease-fire with Egyptian efforts.” The site received an explanatory message from Facebook Company saying that the blocking was due to “violation of privacy standards” and after communicating with Facebook in this regard, the page was restored on 19th Nov. 2019 with a letter of apology from Facebook Company, but despite that there is restriction on reaction and posting on the page until now, as reported by the director of “Dooz News” journalist Abdul Rahman Othman.
Blocking Nablus TV Page and four accounts of its staff members: on 10th Dec. 2019, Facebook Company closed Nablus News TV page (includes 15000 followers and based in Nablus). The site received a message from Facebook stating that this was due to "a violation of Facebook's privacy standards", and two days after the page was closed, the staff members created an alternative page and it is still working. At the same time that the TV page was closed, the pages of four TV staff members were closed, namely: TV Director, Salim YounisSuwaidan, (55 years old), and journalist Manal Salah, (39 years old), from Kufl Hares, a news editor and admin of the TV official page, where three alternative accounts that she tried to create later were blocked, the account of journalist SafaaDawoud, (50 years old), who lives in Ramallah, and the account of journalist Rima Al-Masry, (40 years old), who is from Nablus, lives in Ramallah. Nablus TV Director, Salim Sowaidan, said that he is still in contact with specialists and technicians to solve the problem of closing the page and the accounts of the TV staff members.