Ramallah – April – The violations against media freedom in Palestine increased in April, in comparing with the last month, all of violations are committed by Israeli occupation in West Bank and Gaza Strip.
“MADA” Center documented 47 violations against media freedom in April by Israeli occupation in comparing with 19 violations committed by Israeli in last March, With an increase of 247%, most of them were serious violations that cause very negative repercussions on the press, and its ability to carry out its mission in the required manner.
The occupation authorities committed most of these attacks deliberately and systematically against journalists, in order to obscure what the occupation forces committed against citizens and worshipers in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque while they were responding to its storming operations and settlers during the holy month of Ramadan.
At least 21 journalists were attacked during the month of April, some of whom were subjected to more than one violation on the same day, and more than once during the month.
The physical attacks were 34% of all violations. The occupation forces targeted 10 journalists with rubber bullets, and the army soldiers deliberately targeted journalists in the upper part of the body, as happened with journalist Nisreen Al-Abed, and journalist Fadi Yassin, who were wounded with rubber bullets in the neck.
Some journalists were wounded by more one bullet, as happened with journalist Muhammad Samreen, who was wounded by three rubber bullets in both legs, and was severely beaten while covering events in the courtyards oAl-Aqsa Mosque before he was arrested, and Palestine TV cameraman Fadi Yassin was also wounded with two bullets in the thighs.
“MADA” Center has documented many cases of brutal attacks on journalists with fists and batons, which led to the breaking the hand of the “AWQAF” photographer Rami Al-Khatib, and broke the hand of journalist Alaa Sous.
The occupation authorities also arrested 4 journalists during the month of April (Palestine Times Network correspondent Omar Abu Al-Rub, Al-Qastal news network cameraman Ahmed Abu Sobeih, Al-Qastal network correspondent Muhammad Samreen, and Ayman Qawariq, who is still in Ofer Prison). Meanwhile, Hani Fanoun, Palestine TV reporter, was detained for half an hour, and Shadia Bani Shamsa, correspondent of Nablus Post website, for one hour.
Violations summary:
April,1st: Israeli soldiers arrested the correspondent of “Palestine Times” Network, journalist Omar Abu AL-Rub from Ramallah, the Israeli court decided later to transfer him to administrative detention for a period of six months.
April, 1st: Palestine TV cameraman Louay Al-Samhan was gassed when the occupation forces fired tear gas canisters at journalists while covering the weekly anti-settlement march in the village of Beit Dajan near Nablus.
April,6th: In conjunction with the current events in the city of Jerusalem, the website of the Qastal News Network was subjected to intense electronic attacks, which led to the temporary transfer of the website's publishing link to another link instead of the main one.
April,7rh: The Jerusalemite journalist, Ashwaq Abdel Wahed, was subjected to two consecutive attacks during two days by the Israeli police, who threw her phone to the ground and broke it.
April,10th: The Israeli occupation forces detained the Palestine TV crew for one hour after covering the shooting of a woman in “Husan” village, west of Bethlehem.
April,11th: The Israeli occupation forces assaulted photojournalist Ibrahim Al-Singlawi while covering the Israeli security forces' attacks on worshipers at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
April, 13th: The Israeli occupation forces arrested the photographer of AL- Qastal News Network, Ahmed Abu Sobeih, in the occupied Jerusalem, and released him later after interrogating him about his journalistic work.
April,14th: The Israeli occupation forces detained journalist Shadia Bani Shamsa for an hour while covering the night confusion event that erupted after the martyrdom of the young man Fawaz Hamayel in the town of Beita south of Nablus city.
April,15th: The Israeli occupation forces attacked a group of journalists and photojournalists who were present in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque to cover the attacks on worshipers on the second Friday of Ramadan, Al-Qastal News Network correspondent, Muhammad Samreen, was wounded with three rubber bullets in both legs while performing his work in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, also Al-Qastal News Network photographer, Nisreen Ahmed Tawfiq Al-Abed, 23, was wounded by a rubber bullet in the neck, Israeli soldiers prevented Awqaf photographer Rami Mahfouz al-Khatib from covering the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque and severely beat him, which resulted in a broken wrist of his right hand and his camera, in addition to causing him bruises on different parts of his body.
April, 16th: The occupation forces prevented the photojournalist, Alaa Al-Sous, from covering the events in Al-Aqsa Mosque, and beat her with a bat, which caused her a fracture on the left arm.
April,17th: The Israeli occupation forces prevented a group of journalists from covering and obstructed their work after they and settlers stormed the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday in Jerusalem.
A member of the occupation forces AFP photographer Ahmed Gharabla, and prevented him from covering their incursion into Al-Aqsa Square on Sunday.
April,18th: The occupation forces obstructed the work of a group of journalists, prevented them from covering the events, and expelled them from the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque on Monday.
Photographer Ibrahim Kamal Hamad "Al-Sanglawi" (27 years old), who was with journalists in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque stated that the occupation forces obstructed the work of at least six journalists, despite of their wearing vests marked with the word Press.
April, 18th: "Wafa" news agency correspondent, Mashhour Al-Wahwah, suffocated as a result of being sprayed with pepper gas by the occupation army, while covering a march that took place in Hebron in support of the prisoners inside Israeli jails.
April, 19th: Palestine TV cameraman Fadi Yassin was wounded by two rubber bullets in both thighs, fired by Israeli snipers while covering the settlers' march near the settlement of "Homish" at the Bazariya junction north of Nablus city.
April,22nd: Three journalists were injured by rubber bullets while covering the incursions of the occupation forces and settlers into Al-Aqsa Mosque on the third Friday of Ramadan.
April, 28th: The Israeli occupation forces arrested journalist Ayman Faisal Qawariq, 35 years old, who works for the Qastal network website at Qalandia military checkpoint, while returning from Jerusalem.
April, 29th: The occupation forces attacked journalists in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque on the last Friday of Ramadan, obstructing their work, and preventing them from covering their incursion into the place.
