Ramallah -13th October 2022 September witnessed a decrease in the number of violations against media freedoms in Palestine, as MADA Center documented a count of 57 attacks compared to 143 attacks during August the previous month.
The 57 violations committed were distributed among 40 Israeli violations committed by the Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank, and 12 violations committed by various Palestinian parties in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (9 in the West Bank and two in the Gaza Strip), while the company "META" committed a total of 5 violations against media freedoms.
Violations against media freedoms in Palestine during the last three months
Israeli violations
In September 2022, the Israeli occupation forces and authorities committed a count of 40 attacks against media freedoms in Palestine, all of which occurred in the West Bank, accounting for 70% of all documented attacks. All of them came as part of the dangerous attacks on media freedoms aimed mainly at preventing journalists from covering and reporting events, as they were distributed to 8 physical injuries resulting from direct injury by gas bombs or suffocation by the smell of gas during field coverage, in addition to some journalists being beaten and pushed by hands to keep them from covering events in the city of Jerusalem.
The Israeli attacks during last September included 21 cases of preventing coverage, and also included the arrest of two journalists, where the journalist Lama Ghosheh was released after a 19-day arrest on the condition of house arrest and payment of a financial guarantee of 50 thousand shekels, and prevented from using the phone and social media, and journalist Yassin Abu laffeh remained detained in Ofer Prison.
The Israeli occupation authorities also renewed the administrative detention of journalist Bushra Al-Taweel for another three months for the third time in a row, and she has been detained since 21st March 2022.
Mada Center also documented two cases of damaging equipment for journalists in the field during September, where a journalist's car was targeted with four metal bullets, while one settler attacked another journalist's car by throwing a large stone at it, which caused a hole in the door. During the past month, the occupation forces detained two journalists along with the crew of "AWDAH" TV, obstructing their work and deleting some of their video materials, while another journalist was targeted with two gas bombs to prevent him from covering.
Palestinian violations
The number of Palestinian violations against media freedoms in Palestine increased slightly last September, as MADA documented a count of 12 attacks committed by various Palestinian parties, while it documented 7 Palestinian attacks during the month of August, and the percentage of Palestinian violations reached 21% of the count violations committed.
There were 9 Palestinian violations committed during September in the West Bank, including physical assault on two journalists, one of which was carried out by the security services in the West Bank, to arrest two journalists, one of whom was released the same evening, while the other journalist was detained for 19 days.
In addition to summoning a journalist, shooting at the headquarters of the radio "HAYAT FM", threatening journalists in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the prosecution of a journalist by the Palestinian General Intelligence (PGIS) in the West Bank, and a detective investigation with a journalist about his coverage of an unlicensed event.
Social networks Violations
The number of violations committed by social networks during September decreased significantly, reaching 5 violations against Palestinian content, accounting for 9% of all documented attacks, compared to 77 violations during last August.
The violations of social networks were limited to the "META", where it threatened to close 3 pages on "FACEBOOK" and two accounts on the "WHATSAPP" application.
Details of Violations
(1st Sept.): Agents of the Palestinian General Intelligence (PGIS) pursued journalist Abdullah shattat from the city of Nablus and tried to arrest him on the evening of Thursday, the first of September, but he managed to escape from them.
Abdullah Mohammed shattat, (32 years old) journalist and content creator on the P+ platform, said that elements of the Palestinian intelligence service chased him around 06:30 PM on Thursday, but he managed to escape from them.
The journalist "shattat" was chased by a black Hyundai civilian car, in addition to a white Hyundai bus While riding his bicycle in the city market, the cars caught up with him and the intelligence agents tried to get off them to arrest the journalist shattat, so he had to flee to one of the houses nearby, leaving the bicycle in the middle of the street, and the intelligence agents knocked on the door of several houses in search of the journalist "shattat" but they could not arrest him.
After that, the journalist "shattat" recorded a video and published it through his personal page on the "Facebook" website explaining the details of what happened, He was being prosecuted and did not intend to turn himself in.
It is noteworthy that the intelligence service summoned the journalist by phone last August more than once and asked him to go to the headquarters of the agency for investigation, but he did not go for fear of arrest if he had been previously arrested 15 times between 2009-2019.
WHATSAPP has closed the account of journalist Abdul Hamid Abdul Ati from the Gaza Strip permanently.
The announcer of BALADNA TV and WATAN VOICE radio Abdel Hamid Mohammed Abdel Ati, (37 years old) stated that the WHATSAPP closed his account suddenly without warning and without any justification.
The Israeli occupation forces prevented journalists from covering the release of Al-Bireh municipality mayor Islam Tawil by the occupation authorities on the evening of the first Thursday of September.
The correspondent of PALESTINE POST Agency Saja Shaker Al-Alami (28 years old) stated to Mada that a group of journalists (Photographer of QUDS NEWS NETWORK Mutassim Saqf Al-Hayt, Photographer of Quds Agency Kareem khamaiseh, freelance journalist Muath washaha, journalist Ameer Abo Iram from AL-ERSAL PAL network, Photographer of the newspaper AL-HADATH Ehab Al-Arouri and journalist Ahmed Al-Khatib).
They were present at about 05:30 PM on Thursday near the gate of the "Ofer" detention center to cover the release by the Israeli occupation authorities of the Al-Bireh municipality mayor Islam Tawil.
While they were waiting for the prisoner to be released, tow military jeeps came to the place and threatened the residents present and the journalists with the need to leave the area or they would fire gas grenades in their direction, so the journalists left their place after the liberated prisoner disembarked from the military jeep, and all of them left the place.
(2nd Sept.): The Israeli occupation forces prevented a group of journalists from covering a protest vigil for the residents of the village of "Nabi Samuel" at AL-Jib village checkpoint northwest of Jerusalem in protest against the visit of the extremist settler Knesset member "Itamar Ben-Gvir" on Friday.
PALESTINE POST reporter Saja Shaker Al-Alami (28 years old) stated to Mada that the Israeli occupation forces prevented journalists from covering a protest near the checkpoint at the entrance to the village of "Nabi Samuel" to the northwest of Jerusalem, at the invitation of the resistance to the wall and settlement against the visit of the extremist settler "Itamar Ben Gvir" to the village, and threw gas bombs towards journalists and obstructed their work and prevented them from covering.
The journalists who present there (Mutassim Saqf Al-Hayt, AL-HAYAT newspaper photographer Essam al-Rimawi, Hadi Sabarneh photographer of WATAN agency, photographer Khaled Sabarna, ANADOLU Agency photographer Hisham Abu Shakra, and journalist Mohammed Sumrein).
(3rd Sept.): Agents of the Palestinian General Intelligence (PGIS) arrested the independent journalist Mujahed Al-Saadi in front of his house in Jenin city
Saturday afternoon, and took him to the security compound headquarters and release him in the evening the same day.
Freelance journalist Mujahed Muhammad Al-Saadi (35 years) reported to Mada Center that at around 4:00 pm, while returning to his home, he was surprised by large numbers of Palestinian intelligence agents storming to his neighbors' house, so he documented the intrusion.
When one of the officers saw him, he asked him if he had filmed the events taking place. The journalist Mujahid replied, “Yes.” After reviewing the filming, he asked him to wait until the officer in charge came.
Journalist Mujahid went with the security forces to the camp near his house, and stayed there for about three hours, and then he was taken to the security compound headquarters, where he was shown to the security compound officer, and there the officer started screaming and threatening and accused the journalist of insulting the intelligence agents.
After that, the journalist was transferred to the headquarters of the Preventive Service, which is located within the walls of the security compound, and there was a good treatment by the director of the Preventive Service with the journalist and he was released in the evening. While his phones were held until the next day, and when he retrieved them, it was found that they had been unlocked and what's inside has been seen.
(4th Sept.): The Israeli occupation authorities arrested journalist Lama Ghosheh from her home in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem on Sunday 4th September 2022 and released her after a ten-day detention on the condition of confinement to the house and banning the use of the phone and social media, in addition to paying an amount of 50 thousand shekels.
The Israeli occupation authorities arrested journalist Lama Hani Ghosheh, (30 years), who works for several local media, from her home in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem, after confiscating her computer, phone, and taking her to Hasharon Prison and then transferred to the Damoon prison, where she was kept in solitary confinement throughout her detention.
The day after the arrest, the Occupation Prosecution filed an indictment against her for her posts on social media, which she considered incitement to violence and support for terrorist organizations, after she published a picture of the martyr Ibrahim al-Nabulsi while he was carrying a weapon
During the detention period, the occupation authorities extended the detention of journalist Ghosheh five times under the pretext of completing the investigation, and she was released on Tuesday 13th September 2022 after a ten-day detention on the condition of house confinement, not using social media or the phone in general, and paying a fine of 50,000 shekels.
The Israeli occupation forces detained a Reuters photographer, Raneen Ratib Sawafta (34 years old), in the valleys, prevented her from covering, and interrogated her after confiscating the keys to the public vehicle she was in.
The journalist, Raneen, was in the valleys at about two o’clock in the afternoon to cover the so-called “Valley Operation” (shooting at an Israeli bus), and the journalist was riding in a public vehicle, and when she approached the event site, she was surprised by the presence of a large masked forces of occupation army, who drew their weapons towards the car and took her out with the driver and confiscated the car key.
The photographer identified herself, and despite that, the soldiers carefully searched the car and the press equipment in it. The soldiers also searched the camera very carefully and kept the photographer, Raneen and the driver at hold.
And from time to time, she was interrogated by the soldiers who were there. Who are you? And what brought her to the place and if she had seen any "saboteur" as they put it
Photographer Raneen remained in the car for four hours until she and the driver were released around 05:30 PM.
On Sunday evening, the Preventive Security summoned journalist Mustafa Al-Khawaja for interrogation on Monday morning at the intelligence headquarters, otherwise he will expose himself to responsibility.
Journalist Mustafa Abdel-Razek Al-Khawaja, (31 years old), reported that he was driving his car from Ramallah towards his home in Ne’lin village, returning from work around 06:30 PM on Sunday, when a person called him who identified himself as from the Palestinian intelligence service, and told him that he should attend to the intelligence headquarters on Monday morning 5th September 2022 for investigation, otherwise "he will be under responsibility.”
After the journalist Al-Khawaja contacted a number of his colleagues who activated the issue on social media platforms, as he informed the Journalists Syndicate of the summons, a member of the Syndicate’s General Secretariat called him and told him to cancel the summons.
(5th Sept.): A force from the Palestinian General Intelligence arrested journalist Muhammad Ateeq after raiding his house in the town of Burqin, southwest of Jenin, at approximately 12:00 after midnight on Sunday 5th September 2022, and released him from Jericho prison after 19 days on bail of 3000 dinars.
According to the testimony of the journalist for the Sanad News Agency, Muhammad Ali Ateeq (30 years old), a "masked" force from the Palestinian General Intelligence, estimated number between 30-40 members, raided their house in Burqin village at dawn on Sunday, where they searched the house, they confiscated a number of devices belonging to Muhammad and his brothers and sisters, which are (four laptops, four mobile phones, and two cameras).
Journalist Ateeq was taken to the headquarters of the Palestinian Intelligence Service in the security compound headquarters in Jenin, and was shown directly to the medical services.
Immediately, the detention of journalist Ateeq was extended by 48 hours on charges of "possession of weapons" by the Public Prosecution Office, but an investigation by the intelligence service began with him about a video clip - which journalist Ateeq was accused of filming - that was recently circulated for armed members of the Hamas movement
The journalist was transferred to Jericho prison at about one o’clock in the morning on Monday, and he was presented to the medical services, and the journalist Ateeq remained throughout the 17-day detention period in a solitary cell and in very bad conditions due to the extreme heat.
During the detention period, the Director of Intelligence in Jericho Prison interrogated journalist Atiq several times and at different times, about filming the video, why he filmed it and who sent it, and how much money his counterpart received, and asked him to know the identity of the people in the video and some information about them.
He also investigated his relationship with some of his fellow journalists, including those working in the city of Hebron such as journalist Thaer al-Fakhouri, Muhammad al-Atrash and Sari Jaradat, in addition to journalists Alaa al-Rimawi, Mustafa al-Khawaja, and Amir Abu Aram.
After the end of the first period, his detention was extended for another five days, and on 21th September 2022 he was presented to the court and the judge decided to release him on a judicial bail of 3000 dinars, but he was not released until 12:00 after midnight on Thursday, provided that he returns to meet with the Preventive Security in Jenin on Sunday 25th September 2022, but journalist Ateeq did not go to the aforementioned date.
The confiscated devices and equipment were not returned and remained in the possession of the intelligence service in Jericho.
WHATSAPP banned the personal account of the editor-in-chief of the "Al-Riyadia" website, journalist Ahed Awni Farwana (46 years old), when he was surprised that the application closed his account without warning.
The next day, on the advice of other journalists, the journalist removed the application and re-downloaded it, and the account returned to normal.
Meta also restricted the journalist Farwana's account on FACEBOOK, days before closing his account on the WHATSAPP, where he was prevented from broadcasting live for three months.
(6th Sept.): The Israeli occupation forces targeted the vehicle of journalist Karim Khamaisah with four metal bullets while covering the storming of the Jenin city at dawn on Tuesday 6th September 2022.
AL-ERSAL Network correspondent and Sanad agency photographer, Karim Sobhi Muhammad Khamayseh (24 years old), reported Mada that around 04:30 AM, he and a group of photojournalists, including (Muhammad Turkman and Yousef Shehadeh) were covering the incursion of the occupation forces into Jenin. From the car bearing the sign "Press" in English, and they stood next to it, wearing professional safety clothes, and there were a number of military vehicles of the occupation soldiers on the street, specifically at the "Zayed Roundabout".
There were no citizens on the street because it was exposed, and the photographer Khamaiseh was surprised that the soldiers targeted his car, which he was standing near with his colleagues, with four metal bullets, "live bullets." The first hit the car window near the driver, two bullets in the door where the driver is, and a fourth bullet under the car near the engine.
The vehicle was targeted, and there were no resistance fighters, shooting or stones at the soldiers in the area, only journalists and the occupation soldiers.
(8th Sept.): The Israeli occupation forces detained three journalists from the AWDA TV crew in the Old City of Hebron for three hours under the sun. They searched their press equipment and deleted some of the video materials before releasing them.
AWDA TV cameraman Youssef Madi Shehadeh, (22 years), stated that he and his colleague Noureddine Banat, director of AWDA TV, and Tariq Khamaiseh, the television cameraman, were present on Thursday afternoon in the Jaber neighborhood in the Old City of Hebron, with the aim of filming a documentary film about AL-Ibrahimi Mosque.
When they reached a neighborhood inhabited by only one Arab family, the army soldiers approached them and stopped them for one hour until the responsible officer came, who in turn confiscated the crew’s camera and reviewed the video materials and deleted some of them. He also continued to arrest them until the Israeli police came to arrest them, and they waited another hour.
When the police came, they confiscated their identity cards and press cards for about half an hour, after which they returned the cards to them and told them that they are "watched" and that if they filmed, they would be arrested.
The crew was released after being held for two and a half hours.
Journalist Ahmed Saeed was threatened by a person working in a security apparatus in the Gaza Strip, against the background of his opinions he published regarding the case of two girls who escaped from their father's house in Rafah governorate, southern Gaza Strip.
The director of correspondents for AL-NAJAH TV channel, Ahmed Saeed Abu Daqqa, (39 years old), stated that he had received several threatening letters from an officer in the security services in the Gaza Strip that he would be exposed to publishing news of his personal and family life.
This person sent this message to journalist Ahmed through his personal accounts on the Twitter site and through the Instagram application, after the journalist gave his opinion about the incident of two girls escaping from their father's house in Rafah Governorate, following the allegations of their father's violence against them and the continued restriction of their freedom.
A number of official figures contacted journalist Ahmed in an attempt to calm things down and end the threats he is being exposed to.
(9th Sept.): A settler attacked citizens' vehicles and the vehicle of journalist Muhammad Abu Thabet by hitting stones on Thursday afternoon while he was documenting live broadcasts of the confrontations near the roundabout of the town of "Beita" south of Nablus.
J-Media correspondent Muhammad Radwan Thabet, (42 years old), from Mada Center, stated that he went around 04:00 PM on Thursday to cover the demonstrations in the town of Beita, south of Nablus. Near the roundabout of the town of Beita, one of the settlers attacked the vehicles on the street and even broke the windows of one of them completely, and the journalist Thabet documented it directly. When the settler saw him filming him, he threw a stone at the left door of the journalist's car, which led to a large hole in the door.
The journalist approached the army soldiers and told them that he was a journalist and was assaulted by the settler, and that he wanted to file a complaint against this settler, but the soldier refused to give him any information about the settler or the military patrol present in the place. He also refused to return to the camera recordings to identify the settler and asked him to go to the Israeli police to file a complaint.
(10th Sept.): On Saturday, the Israeli occupation forces obstructed the work of Palestine TV crew who were covering the violations of the occupation in the town of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, and preparing a report on these violations.
The official PALESTINE TV correspondent, Azmi Walid Banat, (30 years old), stated to MADA that he and photographer Fadi Khalaf were present around 11:00 in the afternoon, covering the violations and the harassment of the occupation against the people of Beit Ummar town by the military tower at the entrance to the town and preparing a video report on these violations.
Meanwhile, the soldiers of the Israeli occupation army asked them to stay away from the place more than once, and they obstructed their work all the time, and prevented them from filming.
After they finished their work and wanted to leave the place, they were more than 100 meters away from the entrance, and they were surprised by the occupation forces closing the iron gate, while the military vehicles lined up at the entrance so that they could not move and their vehicle could not be driven in the street, so they only used the narrow sidewalk to pass their car and get out of the confined space to leave the place.
(12th Sept.): The Israeli occupation forces arrested journalist Yassin Muhammad Abu Lafah (33 years old) from his home the popular housing neighborhood east of Nablus at dawn on Monday and transferred him to a military point at Hawara Checkpoint before presenting him to Salem Military Court.
In her testimony to MADA, Bayan Abu Muslim, the wife of journalist Yassin, said that a force of the occupation army, numbering 8 military jeeps, stormed their house, located in the popular housing neighborhood, east of Nablus, at around 02:30 AM on Monday dawn, 12th September 2022.
The soldiers searched the house without any vandalism or confiscation of its contents. They arrested her husband Yassin and confiscated his mobile phone, and he was taken to a military point near the Hawara checkpoint.
On Thursday, 15th September 2022, Yassin was presented to the court without knowing the details of the court, and then he was returned to the military post at Hawara Checkpoint. Another court session was held for Yassin on 20th September 2022, when an indictment was presented against him, and they were unable to identify its terms. He is waiting for the next meeting on 30th October 2022.
(16th Sept.): The head of the village council of "Beit al-Rush al-Tahta" in Hebron assaulted the freelance journalist Youssef Amro by beating and breaking equipment while performing his journalistic work in the village of “Deir al-Asal al-Fuqa”, west of Dura city in the Hebron governorate.
Free journalist Youssef Kamel Ibrahim Amr (27 years), stated to MADA that the head of the village council of "Beit Al-Rush Al-Tahta", "Riyad Abdel-Aziz", assaulted him while covering a horse race organized on a weekly basis in the "Sahel Al-Bashir" area located in the village of “Deir Al-Asal Al-Fouqa”, west of the city Dora.
At around 06:37 PM, when the journalist Youssef started taking photographs while covering the race, after the live broadcast was finished, the head of the village council surprised him by asking about his identity and who he was, and who invited him to cover, and hysterically attacked him and snatched his camera, then the journalist tried to use his mobile phone, the council president only threatened him and snatched the phone from him as well, then he broke the camera in front of everyone, and then hit the journalist on the head with a tool he doesn't know what is what led to the bloodshed from his head.
Journalist Youssef borrowed the phone of a citizen in the place, calling the police and the family. During this period and after leaving the site, the head of the council denied that the journalist’s phone was in his possession, and the phone remained with him for three and a half hours, and then sent the phone to the journalist’s family after the intervention of the tribesmen.
He was taken to Dora Governmental Hospital, and he was treated initially, with seven stitches on his head, and then transferred to Al-Ahly Hospital, where he stayed for 24 hours under observation.
Journalist Youssef filed an official complaint at the Dura police station against the head of the village council, and so far no legal action has been taken against him.
(18th Sept.): The Investigation Department in the Gaza Strip interrogated photojournalist Muthanna Suleiman al-Najjar (39 years old) about his filming of an unlicensed event for parents of sick children (PKU), and they released him hours after he was detained in the department in Gaza City.
Al-Najjar reported to Mada Center that he went on Sunday, 18th September 2022 to film an event for Al-Hadath newspaper, organized by the families of children with ( PKU) patients, to demand a reduction in the prices of milk and foodstuffs needed for their children.
The photographer, Al-Najjar, arrived at the event’s location in the Tel al-Rimal area, and no journalist was present but him.
The photographer himself went to the investigation department of the "Al-Abbas Center", where he was interrogated about the event and its coverage. After two hours of detention and interrogation, he was released and they told him that what had happened was a misunderstanding.
(19th Sept.): Meta has deleted the account of journalist Lina Abu Al-Halawa, after it had previously restricted the account under the pretext of violating publication standards.
Journalist Lina Issa Abu Al-Halawa, (29 years old), reported that Facebook deleted her page from the site, a few days after restricting the account due to a group of posts related to her media work, as the journalist was prevented from live broadcasts and funded ads, and access rates to her posts were restricted for a period of time 90 days.
After that, the account was deleted, with the possibility of objecting to the decision within a month. Lina submitted the objection and restored the account again, while continuing the restriction imposed on the account previously.
The journalist indicated that this deletion and restriction was based on her media posts related to the program she presents with QUDS Network, which may include promoting pictures of prisoners in its episodes or otherwise.
(20th Sept.): HAYAT FM radio station in the city of Nablus suspended the live broadcast in order to preserve the safety of its staff, after its studios came under fire from unknown assailants during clashes between young men and the Palestinian security services on Tuesday morning 20th September 2022.
Journalist Samer Amin Khuwayra, (40 years old), a program presenter in HAYAT RADIO, reported that the radio building, which is located on the eighth floor of the municipal complex in the center of Nablus, was shot at by unknown persons, following armed confrontations between young men and the Palestinian security services in protest. On the arrest of one of the persons pursued by the occupation authorities.
The live broadcast of the radio was suspended for about two and a half hours (7:30-10:00 AM), as the studio and the rest of the radio rooms were fired upon, as a result of which the glass of some of the radio windows were broken, and the walls were partially destroyed after bullets penetrated them.
(21st Sept.): The Preventive Security Service in Nablus arrested the photographer, Saleh Hamad, while he was covering the protests in Nablus on Wednesday evening, and took him to the agency's headquarters in the governorate and interrogated him about his media work.
AFP photographer, Saleh Yousef Hamad (36 years old), stated to MADA that he had been in Nablus since 08:30 AM on a media mission.
At approximately 05:30 PM, the confrontations between citizens and the Palestinian security forces began in Nablus, while a number of citizens were watching the events.
The photographer stood to take pictures next to the spectators, and was not wearing a journalist's uniform. Suddenly, a security officer attacked him. He pulled the phone from his hand, and asked him why he was filming and for whom? He asked him to unlock the phone. The photographer, Saleh, showed him his ID and press card and told him that he was a journalist, so the officer pulled him by the hand to reach the security cars.
A police officer approached him, who appeared to be an officer. He pointed his weapon at the photographer’s feet and threatened to shoot him if he did not open the phone. Then the officer threw him into the military jeep, while one of the officers assaulted him by hitting him on the head and foot.
He was taken to the headquarters of the Preventive Security Apparatus in the governorate, where he was completely searched and his belongings were confiscated. After that, the officer returned his phone to him and took him into the interrogation room and began interrogating him about the reasons for his presence in the place and with whom he works, what his political affiliation is, why he works outside Ramallah.
He was released around 06:30 PM after he suggested that he delete his videos.
(23rd Sept.): The Israeli occupation police targeted the freelance photographer Ibrahim Al-Singlawi with two gas bombs, which led to his suffocation while covering the confrontations between citizens and the police forces in Al-Tur town in Jerusalem on Friday evening.
Freelance photographer Ibrahim Kamal Hamad “Al-Sanglawi” (27 years old), stated to Mada that he was present at about nine o’clock on Friday evening, covering the confrontations that erupted in the Mount of Olives and the town of Al-Tur in occupied Jerusalem following the martyrdom of Muhammad Abu Juma’a from the town of Al-Tur. He wears a press jacket and stands in an area far from the demonstrators, and about 80m away from the Israeli police.
While covering the confrontations, the photographer, Al-Singlawi, was targeted with two gas bombs from a distance of no more than five meters, which led to him suffocating with gas and forcing him to move away from the place, thus obstructing his work and preventing him from covering.
He received field treatment, as the gas caused him to suffocate and burn his eyes.
(24th Sept.): The occupation forces attacked journalists in the "Al-Tawana" area in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, with tear gas and rubber bullets, and prevented them from covering an anti-settlement event organized in the area on Saturday.
In his testimony to MADA, WAFA agency correspondent in Hebron, Mashhour Hassan al-Wawah,( 39 years old), stated that the occupation forces allowed him and his fellow journalists PALESTINE TV cameraman Fadi Talib Khallaf (36 years old), and freelance photographer Wissam Abdel Hafeez al-Hashlamoun (35 years old) entering the "Al-Tawana" area in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, at about 11:00 in the afternoon, in order to cover the event held in the area against settlements, after searching their cards and verifying their press identity, and if they were wearing the press uniform.
After they entered the area to cover the events, they and all the demonstrators were targeted with tear gas canisters, which led to the journalists moving from their place to another area in order to continue coverage, but the occupation forces returned and fired tear gas canisters massively at everyone, in addition to firing rubber bullets into the air.
As a result of the gas grenades, journalist Al-Wahwah was hit by a gas bomb in the chest, but no damage was caused due to his wearing a protective shield, while both photographers, Fadi Khallaf and Wissam Al-Hashlamoun, suffocated with the smell of gas for about ten minutes, but they received field treatment in the place and left about one in the afternoon.
Journalist Alaa al-Rimawi was directly threatened with death within 48 hours by an anonymous. This person published several incendiary publications on his account on the Telegram application against journalist al-Rimawi, including the death threat.
Alaa Hassan Jamil al-Rimawi, )43 years old), director of J-Media, coordinator and correspondent of AL-JAZEERA Mubasher, stated that one of the people (as he believed to be from the Palestinian security services) had threatened to kill him, and the journalist Al-Rimawi learned of the threats when a friend called him on Sunday 24th September 2022 to tell him that there was an incitement campaign against him via the TELEGRAM.
After the journalist Alaa entered the account, which bears the name "Mohammed Al-Khatib", which is often a fake account, he found many inflammatory posts against him and abusive to his work and person, including a leaflet in which he says, "If the Palestinian Authority does not arrest Alaa Al-Rimawi, we will kill him within 48 hours." The anonymous person's account has more than 4000 followers and there are many likes on existing posts.
Journalist Alaa contacted some officials and official bodies to find out about the issue and pursue those behind it.
(25th Sept.): The Israeli occupation police physically and verbally assaulted journalist Manar Shweiki, detained her in the police station, searched her, obstructed her journalistic work, prevented her from filming at Al-Aqsa Mosque, and threatened to arrest her if she entered Al-Aqsa again. Sunday morning.
Journalist Manar Kamal Shweiki,( 23 years), who works for MEDIA VISION agency, stated that she was present in the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Mosque, specifically near Al-Qibli prayer hall, covering the settlers’ incursions around ten in the morning on Sunday, when an Israeli policeman approached her and said to her in Hebrew: She poses a threat to security.” He asked her for her ID card, and told her that she should be searched, and when she asked him to speak Arabic, he insulted her and pushed her hard.
The officer took Manar to Chain Gate center and searched her and her bag. He ordered her to leave the place, and threatened her that if he saw her inside the walls of al-Aqsa, she would be arrested. She left the station at about 11:30 in the afternoon.
(26th Sept.): Israeli police forces assaulted Palestinian journalists by pushing, beating and obstructing their work, and prevented them from covering the settlers' storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied city of Jerusalem on Monday.
ANADOL Agency photographer, "Mustafa Al-Nathir" Iyad Al-Kharouf (35 years old), stated to MADA that he and a group of journalists and photojournalists are (AL-MAYADEEN TV correspondent Hana Mahamid, photographer Wahbi Makiya and Firas Hindawi from the same channel, correspondent Ahad Darawshe and photographer Ali Dawani from Al-Arabi TV, Bara'a. Abu Ramoz from ROYA TV, director of ANADOLU Agency Anas Janeli) were present since seven in the morning in the Chain Gate area to cover the settlers’ storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
After about 10 minutes, the same officer came and began to deport all the citizens, along with the journalists, and prevent them from covering. He assaulted the director of the Turkish ANADOL Agency, Anas Janeli, by pushing hard and making him fall to the ground.
Israeli occupation police continued to assault everyone with pushes, as they were pushed until they reached an area five minutes from Chain Gate, and all the way, assaulting journalists because they were in the middle between the demonstrators, and others.
After about a quarter of an hour, the repression intensified against everyone present in the place, as they pushed them with greater force, and the attack continued, as AL-ARABI correspondent Ahmed Darawshe was beaten by the police.
The journalists left the scene around 01:30 PM after being deliberately prevented from covering the events.
The occupation police also continued to harass Palestinian journalists in the vicinity of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque around 03:00 PM on Monday 26th September 2022. The Israeli occupation police prevented photojournalist Ibrahim Al-Singlawi from covering the incursions, and searched him even after showing his press card.
A few minutes later, the Israeli occupation soldiers (the same soldiers who searched Ibrahim) returned, and their officer checked his press card again and asked him not to approach the soldiers, even though Ibrahim did not approach them. And one of the soldiers provocatively said to him “ took my picture so my mother can see me “
(28th Sept.): A journalist was wounded by a gas bomb in the left foot, while other journalists suffocated as Israeli soldiers fired tear gas canisters while covering the clashes near Huwara checkpoint, south of Nablus on Wednesday evening.
The photographer of the Chinese News Agency in the northern West Bank, Nidal Shafeeq Shtayyeh (50 years old), stated to Mada that he went to cover a demonstration organized in the city of Nablus to protest against the current events in Jenin and the martyrdom of five citizens there on Wednesday morning 28th September 2022.
The demonstrators were in an area near the Hawara checkpoint at about five o'clock in the evening, when they set tires on fire, when Israeli occupation forces (infantry and inside military jeeps) came to the place and started firing tear gas canisters to disperse the demonstrators who fled the place towards Al-Quds Street adjacent to the area.
The photographer, Shtayyeh, remained in a visible place for the occupation soldiers, wearing the full press uniform, including a gas mask. While filming the demonstrators, he was 60 meters away from the army soldiers. A soldier targeted him with a gas grenade that hit his left foot while no one was next to him.
The photographer, Nidal, went to the nearby ambulance, where he received field treatment, and refused to go to the hospital and continued his coverage.
Gas continued to be fired at the demonstrators in the area, and while journalists were covering the scene of the soldiers’ arrest of a young protester, the occupation forces pushed the journalists, Quds News Network correspondent Abdullah Taysir Bahsh (24 years old) and J-Media reporter Muhammad Radwan Thabet (42 years old), to drive them away from the scene Another soldier threw a gas grenade at them. The bomb fell between the two journalists, Al-Bahsh and Thabet, which suffocated them for a few minutes. They received field treatment in the same place.
