Ramallah – February7th 2025 The number of violations against media freedoms in Palestine during January 2025 was nearly identical to December 2024, with a difference of just one violation. The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) documented a total of One Hundred and Two (102) violations against media freedoms in Palestine during the first month of the current year, compared to One Hundred and Three (103) violations recorded by MADA in the previous month, December 2024. This marks a decrease of 0.9% in the number of violations.
The violations during January were distributed as follows: Eighty-Two (82) crimes and violations committed by Israeli authorities in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, Eighteen (18) violations committed by Palestinian entities in the West Bank, and Two (2) violations committed by social media companies.
Israeli Violations:
Israeli crimes against Palestinian media freedoms continued to rise during January. MADA Center documented a total of Eighty-Two (82) crimes and violations against Palestinian media freedoms, with Israeli violations constituting 80% of the total documented violations.
Israeli violations were distributed as follows: Fifty-Eight (58) attacks in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Twenty-Four (24) crimes and attacks in the Gaza Strip. Journalist killings continued during January, particularly in the period leading up to the ceasefire agreement between the Israeli side and Hamas in Gaza Strip. During this period, MADA Center documented the martyrdom of Eight (8) journalists in Gaza.
In addition to the killings, MADA Center documented Nine (9) physical violations, six (6) of which occurred in Gaza. Among these, journalist YOUSEF AL-SAUDI was injured by shrapnel in his right wrist, journalist MARWAN SHALAH was injured by shrapnel in his left hand and foot, journalist AHMED WASHAH was injured by shrapnel in both feet and the head, journalist HAMMAM AL-HATTAB was bruised during the bombing of his home, and journalist AHMED ABU SHAWISH was injured by shrapnel in his right hand while covering an Israeli raid in Jenin.
Furthermore, journalist NAGHAM ZAYET, a reporter for "Quds News Network," was injured by shrapnel in her right hand during the coverage of an Israeli raid on the Tulkarm refugee camp. Additionally, Israeli occupation forces verbally attacked the crew of "Al-Arabiya TV" while covering the raid on Jenin, and Israeli police officers physically assaulted freelance journalist NADINE JAAFAR while she was covering the release of a Palestinian detainee in "Jabal Al-Mukabber" neighborhood.
Israeli authorities arrested two journalists in January: journalist ABDULLAH MUTAN, who was detained while crossing the "Karama" checkpoint on his way to a journalistic mission, and journalist FARAH ABU AYASH, who was released the following day.
The Israeli forces also detained the Palestine TV crew twice: the first time during coverage in the village of "Haris" in the Salfit governorate, where they deleted the filmed material from the cameras of cameraman JAMAL HASSAN and reporter MOHAMMED ISHTAYYA; the second time in Jenin governorate during a raid, where the crew, consisting of reporter AMNA BILALO and cameramen SAKHER ZAWAITEH and BASHAR SAMOUDI, was detained for half an hour. Additionally, Palestinian female journalists NADINE JAAFAR, MAYSAA ABU GHAZALEH, and “Roya” TV reporter MARAM AL-BUKHARI were detained in “Jabal Al-Mukabber” neighborhood while covering the release of a detainee, and Israeli police officers issued verbal summonses to them for interrogation.
MADA Center also documented twenty-one (21) violations of preventing coverage in the West Bank, twenty-two (22) violations targeting the prevention of coverage, including three (3) violations in Gaza, as well as the destruction of five (5) homes belonging to journalists due to Israeli airstrikes in Gaza Strip.
In the same context, an Israeli court sentenced journalist OSAID AMMARNA, who has been detained since December 26th, to four (4) months in prison and a fine. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities released journalist ROLA HASANEEN as part of a prisoner exchange deal.
Palestinian Violations:
The number of Palestinian violations significantly decreased during January compared to the previous month. MADA Center documented a total of Eighteen (18) Palestinian violations in the West Bank, in contrast to Thirty-One (31) violations recorded during December, marking a reduction of Forty-Two Percent (42%). These Palestinian violations accounted for 18% of the total violations documented throughout the previous month.
All the violations occurred in the West Bank and were largely attributed to the "National Protection" Campaign initiated by the Palestinian Authority in Jenin at the beginning of December 2024. This Campaign aimed to enforce the rule of law and pursue wanted individuals operating outside the law, particularly in areas witnessing an escalation in the activities of armed groups.
During the past month, MADA documented two cases of journalist arrests: MAHMOUD MATAR, a broadcaster with "Radio Al-Quran Al-Kareem" in Nablus, was detained for thirteen days, during which he was subjected to interrogation, torture, and repeated instances of being shackled in a stressful position. Additionally, journalist JIHAD KHALAF, a reporter for "Quds News Network," was arrested on January 8th and, as of the time of writing this report, had not been released. He was charged with the fabricated accusation of "possessing an unlicensed weapon", while he was actually being investigated for his coverage of statements and briefings by the spokespersons of the Jenin Battalion. He was also subjected to three days of torture and shackling.
Furthermore, the Palestinian Police detained "Al-Jazeera" Crew for about three hours while they were covering the release of Palestinian prisoners near Ofer Prison in the town of Betunia, for violating the Attorney General’s order banning media coverage. The police compelled them to sign an agreement not to report in the West Bank. The Palestinian police also summoned Al-Jazeera reporter LAITH JA’AR and forced him to sign a commitment not to appear on the channel’s screen. The Palestinian Preventive Security Service summoned the program manager of "Alam Radio" in Hebron, SALAHALDIN ABU HASSAN, and interrogated him for two hours regarding his journalistic work. The same security service also summoned journalist MOHAMMAD SAMRIN for the same reason, and he too was forced to sign a commitment not to work with Al-Jazeera or provide any service to any platform affiliated with it. Additionally, the Palestinian Preventive Security detained freelance journalist OBADA TAHAYNA for about eleven hours and interrogated him regarding his journalistic work and coverage of the activities of the Jenin Battalion.
The Palestinian security services also prevented "Al-Ghad" TV crew, freelance journalist ABDUL MOHSEN SHALALDA, "Al-Hadath" newspaper reporter MUSAB SHAWAR, and Xinhua News Agency cameraman from covering the celebrations in Hebron city following the release of prisoners.
Violations by Social Media Platforms:
The violations related to social media companies were limited to two incidents committed by "Meta," following the restriction of the Facebook and Instagram accounts of journalist and cartoonist MAHMOUD ABBAS. This action was taken in response to a caricature he had posted of the former head of the political bureau of Hamas.
List of Media Martyrs During December
|
Name of Journalist |
Date of Martyrdom |
Workplace |
|
|
1 |
HASSAN SAID AL-QISHAWI |
2nd January 2025 |
Gazamedia News Network |
|
2 |
OMAR SALAH AL-DERAWI |
3rd January 2025 |
The Fourth Authority Agency |
|
3 |
SAID ABU NABHAN |
10th January 2025 |
Al-Ghad Channel |
|
4 |
MOHAMMAD BASHIR AL-TALMAS |
14th January 2025 |
Safa News Agency |
|
5 |
AHLAM NAFETH AL-TALOULI |
13th January 2025 |
Freelance Journalist |
|
6 |
AQEL HUSSEIN SALEH |
14th January 2025 |
Al-Shabiba Movement |
|
7 |
AHMED OMAR AL-SHAYAH |
15th Jan. 2025 |
Qawafil Al-Khair Association |
|
8 |
AHMED HESHAM ABU ROUS |
15th Jan. 2025 |
The Fourth Authority Agency |
Details of Violations:
(1st Jan.) Israeli occupation aircraft bombed the home of Al-Jazeera reporter journalist RAMI ABU TAIMA in the eastern part of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on the early morning of Wednesday, January 1st. His daughter, sister, and her children were injured as a result of the bombing.
According to the testimony of journalist RAMI SALIM ABU TAIMA (42 years old), around 2:30AM on Wednesday, January 1st, while preparing for a live broadcast from the Al-Jazeera office at "Nasser" Hospital, he received the news that his house, located in the "Al-Fukhari" area east of Khan Younis, had been bombed by an F16 warplane, and that several members of his family were injured. The journalist requested a delay in his broadcast and made a call to find out what had happened. During the call, he heard the sounds of people crying for help, and it became clear that his daughter, sister, and her children were among the injured.
Ambulance vehicles arrived immediately at the scene, and the injured were evacuated from under the rubble. After ensuring that they had reached the hospital, he returned to the live broadcast to continue his journalistic coverage.
(2nd Jan.) The martyrdom of photojournalist HASSAN SAID AL-QISHAWI (29 years old) from the Gazamedia News Network occurred as a result of shrapnel wounds from an Israeli airstrike west of Gaza City on Thursday afternoon.
In his testimony, the cousin of the photojournalist, MOHAMMAD AL-QISHAWI, mentioned that at around 12:00PM on Thursday, an Israeli reconnaissance aircraft launched a missile at a gathering of civilians near the "Sacred Family" school west of Gaza City. The photojournalist was there on a journalistic and documentary assignment for the network and the INH for Humanity organization he worked with.
The journalist was directly hit by shrapnel from the missile in various parts of his body, leading to his instant martyrdom. His body was transported to the "Baptist" Hospital via an ambulance, where his death was officially confirmed by medical sources.
(3rd Jan.) The martyrdom of photojournalist OMAR AL-DERAWI (22 years old) from the "Fourth Authority" Agency occurred in the early hours of Friday after Israeli occupation aircraft bombed his home in the central Gaza Strip.
According to the testimony of RAFEEF AZIZ, one of OMAR SALAH AL-DERAWI’s neighbors, an Israeli F16 warplane targeted the home of the AL-DERAWI family in the town of "Al-Zawayda" in central Gaza Strip at around 2:55AM on Friday, bombing it while the family members were asleep. The bombing reduced the house to rubble, resulting in the martyrdom of the journalist, his parents, his brother, and several other family members. They were extracted by civil defense teams with difficulty, while the body of journalist OMAR was torn apart due to the intensity of the explosion.
On the evening of the same day, journalist MARWAN SHALAH, a member of the coordination and broadcast follow-up department at "Al-Aqsa Satellite Channel," was moderately injured in an airstrike that targeted a gathering of civilians in the central Gaza Strip.
According to the testimony of journalist MARWAN OMAR SHALAH (40 years old) to MADA Center, at around 3:30PM on Friday, he was on his way to his tent in the town of "Al-Zawayda" in central Gaza when an Israeli reconnaissance aircraft launched a missile at a gathering of civilians nearby. The explosion caused the ground to shake, and the impact lifted him several meters into the air before he fell to the ground due to the intensity of the blast.
Shrapnel scattered, and he sustained injuries to his hand and left foot. He underwent urgent surgery after being transported by ambulance to the "Martyrs of Al-Aqsa" Hospital in Deir al-Balah.
SHALAH, who was displaced from Gaza City and currently resides in a tent in the central Gaza Strip, added that he is still suffering from the injury and receiving treatment. He also suffers from bruises across his body as a result of slipping on the ground at the moment of the bombing.
(3rd Jan.) The cameraman YOUSEF AL-SAUDI of "Al-Jazeera English" TV was injured with a fracture in his right wrist on Friday evening due to an airstrike by an Israeli reconnaissance aircraft targeting the Shuja'iyya neighborhood while he was walking home after finishing his work.
Cameraman YOUSEF IYAD AL-SAUDI (23 years old) told a MADA Center researcher that around 4:00PM on Friday, after finishing his shift and while heading home on "Mishta" street in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood east of Gaza City, an Israeli reconnaissance aircraft targeted a gathering of civilians on the road he was walking on. The intense explosion and the crowd of citizens caused him to sustain a fracture in his right wrist.
Despite his injury, the photographer immediately covered the event, documenting the martyrs and wounded lying on the ground for the channel. After completing his journalistic coverage and documentation, he headed to the "Baptist" hospital, where he underwent medical tests and received necessary treatment.
(3rd Jan.) The Media Solidarity Center, affiliated with the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate in the city of "Deir al-Balah" in central Gaza, suffered significant damage, and the Center’s guard was injured as a result of Israeli airstrikes targeting a neighboring house early on Friday morning.
According to the statement from the Director of the Media Solidarity Center, journalist AHED FARWANA, to MADA Center, at approximately 2:00AM on Friday, F16 fighter jets launched airstrikes on the house adjacent to the Center in Deir al-Balah, causing substantial and severe damage.
The bombing resulted in injuries to the Center’s guard and extensive damage to the Center’s property, including iron sheets used as walls, as well as the destruction of a large display screen, an educational board, and the Center’s water, electricity, and internet networks. Additionally, solar panels and chairs, which were used by visiting journalists working at the Center, were damaged. This Center had been serving as a workspace for journalists, especially in light of the destruction of other media offices, offering essential electricity and internet services to facilitate their fieldwork.
The occupation forces were aware of the presence of the media center through aerial surveillance, as the Syndicate’s logo and the press insignia were visible on the walls and the Center’s entrance. However, the Israeli forces bombed the surrounding area without any prior warning or notice.
(6th Jan.) On Monday morning, Palestinian General Intelligence Service arrested journalist MAHMOUD MATAR MAHMOUD in connection with old posts he had shared on his Facebook page. He was released after 13 days, during which he was subjected to severe interrogation and torture.
According to a statement by MAHMOUD MATAR MAHMOUD, a broadcaster at "Al-Quran Al-Kareem" Radio (36 years old), to MADA Center, he received a verbal summons from the Palestinian General Intelligence Service on the evening of Saturday, January 4th, through a phone call, instructing him to appear for questioning two days later.
The journalist reported to the Palestinian Intelligence Headquarters at the "Al-Junayd" Prison in Nablus at 9:00AM on Monday, January 6th, where an arrest order was issued against him.
He was interrogated for five days, during which the authorities presented old posts he had shared on his Facebook page since 2018. These posts addressed issues of judicial equality and the application of the law in all areas. The security services considered these posts to be an affront to public law and undermining their legitimacy, particularly in relation to the "National Protection" Operation that had been launched in Jenin and its Refugee Camp since December of the previous year.
Throughout his 13-day detention, the journalist was subjected to physical abuse, insults, and verbal abuse. He was also repeatedly placed in shackling/chaining for several hours and, at times, for an entire night during the first five days of his arrest.
Twenty-four hours after his detention, he was brought before the public prosecutor, who ordered his detention for an additional 48 hours. A court then extended his detention for 15 days following the issuance of an indictment by the prosecutor’s office, which included charges such as: publishing incitement on Facebook, defaming the security services and the authority, and undermining the dignity of the Palestinian judiciary. As a result, he was transferred from his solitary confinement cell to a collective prison room.
The journalist was presented to court again on January 19th and was released on a bail of 2,000 Jordanian dinars, with a requirement to attend a court session in April of the upcoming year.
(7th Jan.) Palestinian Red Crescent cameraman AHMED WASHAH was injured in both his feet and head as a result of an Israeli F16 airstrike targeting the house adjacent to his own in central Gaza on Tuesday evening, causing partial destruction to his home.
According to a statement by the 32-year-old photojournalist, AHMED IBRAHIM WASHAH, around 11:00PM on Tuesday, after finishing his work shift, he headed home in the "Al-Bureij" refugee camp in central Gaza. During his break, an F16 fighter jet bombed the house of his uncle, which is directly adjacent to his own. The explosion caused shrapnel to scatter, injuring the cameraman in his feet and head.
He was transferred by ambulance to "Al-Awda" Hospital for treatment, while significant damage occurred to the northern façade of his house, which faces the site of the bombing.
(8th Jan.) On Wednesday, the Palestinian Preventive Security Service in Hebron interrogated the programs director at "Alam" Radio for two hours and released him after he signed a commitment to adhere to the laws and maintain neutrality in his journalistic work.
According to the statement from SALAH ALDIN ADLI ABU HASSAN, the programs director at "Alam" Radio, to MADA Center, he received a written summons from the Palestinian Preventive Security Service on Tuesday, January 7th, requesting him to appear at their office in "Beit Oula" village, west of Hebron, on Wednesday, January 8th.
The journalist arrived at the Service’s headquarters in Hebron as scheduled, where he handed over his ID card and was held in an external waiting area for an hour and a half before being taken into the investigation section.
The interrogation focused on ABU HASSAN’s work at "Alam" Radio, the nature of the programs presented, and accusations that the programs were inciting against the Palestinian Authority, particularly due to the Radio’s hosting of individuals discussing the closure of "Al-Jazeera" channel by the Palestinian Authority.
The investigation session lasted for two hours, and before leaving the premises, the journalist was required to sign a commitment to abide by the laws, neutrality, and professionalism in his journalistic work.
(8th Jan.) On Wednesday, the Cybercrime Unit of the Criminal Investigation Division in Ramallah summoned journalist MOHAMMED SUMRAIN and had him sign a commitment not to work with Al-Jazeera or provide services to any media platform affiliated with the channel.
According to the journalist’s statement, he was summoned on Wednesday by the Cybercrime Unit in Ramallah for an interview.
The journalist arrived at the Ramallah police station as scheduled, where they informed him that there was a decision from the Palestinian Attorney General, AKRAM AL-KHATIB, preventing him from working with any Al-Jazeera team.
The journalist explained that he was not part of Al-Jazeera Crew, but they told him the decision applied to everyone. They then asked him to sign a commitment not to work with Al-Jazeera or offer services to any media platform affiliated with the channel, and he signed the document.Top of Form
(8th Jan.) On Wednesday afternoon, Palestinian security forces arrested "Quds Feed" reporter journalist JARRAH WALID KHALAF (24 years old) as he was returning home from the city of Jenin.
According to a statement from MOHAMMED KHALAF, the journalist’s brother, to MADA Center, journalist JARRAH KHALAF was riding a public vehicle at approximately 3:15PM on Wednesday, heading back to his home. As he passed through Nablus Street on his way to his village, "Anza," a checkpoint set up by Palestinian Authority security forces stopped the vehicle. They pulled the journalist from the vehicle and asked him to unlock his mobile phone. When he refused, they assaulted him and arrested him.
On Tuesday, January 14th, Jenin’s Magistrate Court extended the journalist’s detention for 15 days at the request of the prosecution to complete legal procedures.
The journalist remained detained by the Jenin Police Investigation Unit under the charge of "possessing an unlicensed weapon" a charge that, according to his statements, was a mere pretext since no investigation was conducted on that matter. He was interrogated regarding his coverage of statements and press briefings by the spokespersons of the Jenin Brigades. He acknowledged, as per his role as a journalist, that he covers and photographs such events.
On January 28th, he was supposed to be presented before the Jenin Magistrate Court for the second time to request an extension of his detention. However, due to the security events in Jenin and the closure of the court, he was not brought to court, and no further legal actions were taken, even though the extension period had expired.
According to journalist JARRAH KHALAF’s statement before the public prosecution in Jenin, he was subjected to severe beating by ten officers and was placed in shackling/chaining for three days.
(9th Jan.) On Thursday evening, the "Allar" Police Center, north of Tulkarem, summoned Al-Jazeera reporter LAITH JA’AR and had him sign a commitment preventing him from appearing on the channel’s screens until the closure order imposed on it is lifted.
According to a statement from LAITH BASSEM JA’AR (27 years old), an Al-Jazeera journalist, to MADA Center, at 5:30PM on Thursday, Palestinian police officers arrived at his family’s home in the town of "Allar," north of Tulkarem, to deliver a decision from the Attorney General regarding him. The decision prohibited him from appearing on Al-Jazeera’s screens until the closure order on the channel was lifted. However, he was not home at the time.
The journalist then went to the police center around 8:00PM, where he was handed the decision, which suspended his work with Al-Jazeera until the end of the closure order. He signed the document, ensuring his compliance and the suspension of his work with the Al-Jazeera team.
(10th Jan.) The journalist SAED ABU NABHAN, a cameraman for Al-Ghad Channel, was martyred by a bullet fired by Israeli forces, which struck him in the back while he was covering events in central Gaza. Meanwhile, freelance journalist KHAMIS AL-RIFI survived after being trapped in the Al-Nuseirat refugee camp on Friday evening.
In his testimony, journalist KHAMIS AL-RIFI mentioned that, on Friday, he and Al-Ghad Channel cameraman SAED SABRI ABU NABHAN (26 years old) were heading to cover events north of the Al-Nuseirat camp after Israeli military vehicles had withdrawn from the area following a several-hour incursion. Reports indicated that there were casualties, martyrs, and significant destruction in the area.
Around 5:00PM, after arriving to cover the events along with an ambulance team, a sniper from the Israeli forces targeted cameraman SAED ABU NABHAN with a bullet, hitting him directly. The journalist heard ABU NABHAN scream, "I’ve been hit" and it was revealed that he had been struck by a metal bullet in the back, exiting from his chest area. He was martyred moments after the injury.
The journalist's body remained on the ground until the shooting ceased. Local citizens were able to drag him and transport his body to "Al-Awda" Hospital in Al-Nuseirat camp, where he was officially declared martyred.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces stationed nearby continued firing random shots and shells, trapping freelance journalist KHAMIS AL-RIFI, who was wearing a press vest, along with the ambulance crew and several civilians. AL-RIFI was documenting the events via his mobile phone for a television report for Al-Ghad Channel. Bullets were flying above his head, even though Israeli soldiers were aware of the presence of journalists, as reconnaissance drones were flying low, monitoring the camp.
(10th Jan.) On Friday morning, Israeli forces targeted several journalists with rubber-coated steel bullets and sound bombs, obstructing their work and preventing them from covering the Israeli military raid on the town of "Qabatia," south of the city of Jenin.
According to a report by MOHAMMED SAMIR ABED (28 years old), a reporter for Quds News Network, to MADA Center, he and freelance journalist MOHAMMED ATIQ (32 years old) headed to the town of Qabatia at 10:00AM to cover the Israeli military’s incursion into the town. They then joined other journalists to work as a group covering the raid, including: French Agency cameraman JAAFAR ISHTAYYA, Xinhua Agency cameraman NIDAL ISHTAYYA, freelance journalist MAHMOUD ZAKARNEH, Al-Ghad Channel reporter KHALED BDEIR and cameraman SHADI JARRAR'AH, Al-Arabiya TV crew member AMEEN SHEHADEH and cameraman RABEE’ AL-MUNEER, freelance cameraman SHATHA HANAISHAH, Palestine Post reporter MASHAEL ABU ROB, Palestine TV crew member TAREQ AL-HOURANI, and journalist MAHMOUD SAMOUDI.
At 11:45 AM, the journalists were near Qabatia fuel station documenting the movements of the army and its invasion of homes when one of the military vehicles approached them. The soldier opened the vehicle’s rear door and targeted the journalists with rubber-coated steel bullets to prevent them from covering the incident. Fortunately, none of the journalists were injured.
Additionally, US agency cameraman NASSER ISHTAYYA (56 years old) reported that at around 11:30AM, he was driving with freelance journalist JAMAL RAYYAN on the main street near the municipal roundabout, across from the group of journalists. A soldier intercepted them by firing sound bombs and ordered them to leave the area. When ISHTAYYA informed the soldier that he was continuing his journalistic work, the soldier brought the driver of an Israeli bulldozer involved in the incursion into the town of Qabatia. The soldier gave them an ultimatum: either break their vehicle or leave the entire town. For their safety, they chose to withdraw from the area.
(11th Jan.) On Saturday afternoon, the Palestinian Preventive Security Forces detained freelance journalist OBADA TAHAINEH while he was heading to the city of Jenin. He was released after 11 hours of detention, during which he was interrogated about his journalistic work and coverage of the activities of the Jenin Brigades.
According to OBADA MOHAMMED TAHAINEH (23 years old), a freelance journalist, in his statement to MADA Center, he was traveling at around 2:00PM on Saturday from his hometown of "Silat al-Harithiya" west of Jenin to the city of Jenin. Upon reaching the "Alahmadin" roundabout, he was stopped by a checkpoint set up by Palestinian security forces. The officers halted the public vehicle he was riding in and asked for identification cards. When they saw his ID, they requested that he unlock his phone, but he refused firmly. They then took him to the Preventive Security headquarters, where they again demanded he unlock his phone. When he refused again, they interrogated him about his work with Al-Jazeera Channel, asking him to sign a commitment not to work with them, which he rejected, denying any collaboration with the channel. They also questioned him about personally filming members of the Jenin Brigades and covering the activities of the brigades, including their military displays and statements they had made.
He was released around 2:00AM on Sunday, January 12th, after being detained for approximately 11 hours.
(13th Jan.) The freelance journalist AHLAM NAFITH AL-TALOULI was martyred after being struck by shrapnel in various parts of her body as a result of an Israeli airstrike on a residential area in Gaza City on Monday afternoon.
According to her brother, MOHAMMED, in his statement to MADA Center, on Monday afternoon, AHLAM NAFITH AL-TALOULI (33 years old) was walking near the "Al-Ghufri" junction in Gaza City on her way to buy essentials for her family. Suddenly, Israeli warplanes targeted a residential block in the area with incendiary bombs, leading to her immediate martyrdom from the shrapnel wounds she sustained all over her body. She was transported by car to the "Baptist" hospital.
(13th Jan.) On Monday morning, Israeli soldiers detained the Palestine TV crew in the village of "Haris" near the Salfit Governorate for two hours. They deleted the footage from their phones and prevented them from covering the Israeli forces’ incursion into the village.
According to the testimony of Palestine TV reporter MOHAMMED ABDEL QADER ISHTAYYA to the MADA Center, the TV crew, consisting of reporter MOHAMMED ISHTAYYA and cameraman JAMAL HASSAN, arrived around 8:00AM on Monday in the village of "Haris" in Salfit to cover the Israeli forces’ raid, which was accompanied by a military bulldozer.
The crew positioned themselves in a residential building overlooking the entrance of the village, where there was an iron gate. At that moment, the Israeli soldiers sent a drone to the location where the crew was standing. Shortly after, one of the soldiers shouted for them to come down. The journalists grabbed their camera and headed towards the building’s internal stairs. By the time they reached the door, the soldiers had arrived at the building’s entrance and began knocking violently. As soon as the journalists opened the door, the soldiers pulled them outside.
The soldiers stopped the journalists near a wall of the building, handcuffed them with plastic ties, confiscated their IDs, and made them sit by the side of the road. After a short while, another soldier arrived and asked ISHTAYYA "Why are you laughing?" He then brought two pieces of cloth, blindfolded both journalists, and placed them in a military vehicle parked nearby, where they were detained for two hours.
Afterwards, the soldiers removed the journalists from the vehicle and uncuffed cameraman JAMAL HASSAN, instructing him to delete the footage from the camera. The soldiers then left, leaving ISHTAYYA handcuffed in the street. JAMAL HASSAN later freed ISHTAYYA by untying him.
(13th Jan.) On Monday morning, Israeli authorities arrested freelance journalist ABDULLAH MUTAN at the "Karamah" crossing while he was on his way to the United Arab Emirates for a journalistic assignment. He was detained at the "Gush Etzion" settlement military camp.
According to the journalist's father, ABDULLAH MOHAMMED MUTAN (30 years old), the journalist arrived at the Karamah crossing heading to Jordan and then to the UAE for his assignment. Around 10:00AM, upon reaching the Palestinian-Jordanian border, Israeli authorities stopped him at the crossing and arrested him.
The family learned through lawyers that ABDULLAH MUTAN is being held at an Israeli military camp in the "Gush Etzion" settlement, located south of Bethlehem.
(13th Jan.) In the early hours of Monday, Israeli warplanes targeted the home of media advisor to the Al-Baraka International Foundation and owner of "Ten Media" Production Company, journalist AYMAN YAHYA AL-AMRITI (42 years old).
According to AYMAN YAHYA AL-AMRITI, around 1:15AM on Thursday, a large explosion shook his apartment in the "Al-Daraj" neighborhood of Gaza City, caused by an Israeli missile strike on his home while everyone was asleep. The attack resulted in the destruction of the house, with significant damage to much of the furniture and personal items necessary for his work, such as computers, phones, and cameras.
Debris fell on the house’s occupants, and while the journalist miraculously survived, his three children fell from the third floor due to the force of the explosion. Tragically, his daughter died instantly, while his two other children were injured and were transported by ambulance to the "Baptist" hospital for treatment.
(14th Jan.) The journalist, MOHAMMED BASHIR AL-TALMIS (40 years old), who worked for the Palestinian News Agency (Safa), was martyred on Tuesday morning, succumbing to the wounds he sustained from an Israeli missile strike that targeted him and a group of citizens.
According to a statement by his cousin, HANI AL-TALMIS, journalist MOHAMMED was present around 2:00PM on Monday, January 13th, in the "Sheikh Radwan" area when an Israeli reconnaissance drone targeted him and several others with a missile. This resulted in severe injuries to MOHAMMED, particularly in his head and other parts of his body.
He was transferred to the "Baptist" hospital in Gaza City by ambulance, but due to the lack of medical resources, personnel, and the collapse of the healthcare system, it was difficult for the medical staff to provide adequate treatment. As a result, his condition deteriorated, and he was placed in the intensive care unit. Unfortunately, he passed away at dawn on Tuesday, January 14th, 2025, due to the severity of his injuries.
(14th Jan.) The journalist BASHIR FATHI ABU AL-SHAAR (41 years old), who works for "Shams" and "Basma" radio stations, was injured on Tuesday morning when the building he resides in was targeted by an Israeli F16 fighter jet.
According to ABU AL-SHAAR, around 9:00AM on Tuesday, he was conducting a live coverage of the intense shelling in the Gaza Strip when an Israeli warplane struck the building where he lived in the Al-Daraj neighborhood of Gaza City. The bombing caused the five-story building to collapse, and the shrapnel and debris from the attack injured the journalist directly in the head. His child was also injured, and several family members were martyred in the attack.
Rescue teams from the Civil Defense managed to reach the journalist with great difficulty, and he was transported to the "Baptist" hospital via ambulance where he received the necessary medical treatment.
(14th Jan.) The journalist AQIL HUSSEIN SALEH, 27 years old, who worked in the media department of the Fatah Youth Movement, was martyred on Tuesday afternoon, January 14th, due to an airstrike that targeted him in the Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City.
According to MOHAMMED AL-ATHAMNA, a friend of the journalist, around 4:00PM on Tuesday, Israeli reconnaissance planes targeted a gathering of civilians in the Al-Shati camp in western Gaza City, where journalist AQIL HUSSEIN SALEH was present. The attack resulted in his immediate martyrdom. His body was transferred to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City via ambulance.
(14th Jan.) The Palestinian security forces prevented the "Al-Arabiya" TV crew on Tuesday evening from entering the city of "Jenin" to cover the Israeli airstrike operation in the "Jenin" Refugee Camp, and forced them to return after reaching "Asfour" roundabout.
Al-Arabiya reporter, AMJAD ZAYED SHIHADA (37 years old), informed MADA Center that he received news on Tuesday evening about an Israeli airstrike in the "Jenin" camp, which resulted in the martyrdom of six civilians. He and his colleague, cameraman RABI' HASSAN MOUNIR (42 years old), headed to the location around 11:17PM to cover the incident.
Upon their arrival at "Asfour" Roundabout, they were stopped at a Palestinian security checkpoint. Their personal IDs and press cards were checked, and one of the security officers made a phone call. He asked them about their destination, and they informed him.
Five minutes later, they were returned their IDs and press cards, and they were instructed to turn back. When they inquired about the reason, they were told that it was "higher orders", without any clarification about the source of the orders or the reason for the restriction.
(15th Jan.) The Palestinian security forces prevented a group of journalists from covering the celebrations in the city of Hebron and obstructed their work after the announcement of a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday evening.
In his statement to MADA Center, Al-Ghad TV reporter RAED SHEREEF mentioned that he, along with Al-Ghad TV cameraman JAMIL SALHAB, freelance journalist ABDEL MOHSEN SHALALDA, Al-Hadath Newspaper reporter MOSAAB SHAWAR, and Xinhua Agency cameraman MAMOUN WAZWAZ, headed to the "Dura Ibn Rushd" area in the center of Hebron at 7:00PM on Wednesday to cover the celebratory atmosphere following the announcement of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
While covering the celebrations, a Palestinian security force arrived at the location. One of them, dressed in civilian clothes, stopped reporter SHEREEF, identified himself as a member of the Palestinian Intelligence Service, and asked for his ID. After a few minutes, the officer returned the ID and instructed him and the other journalists present to leave, claiming the area was closed for security reasons.
(15th Jan.) The journalist AHMED AL-SHAYYAH, who served as the head of the media department at the "Qawafel Al-Khair" Association and also worked as a reporter for Quds Press and Al-Jazeera’s website, was martyred on Wednesday evening in an airstrike that targeted him in Khan Younis.
In his statement to MADA Center, MOHAMMED AL-SHAYYAH, the brother of the journalist AHMED OMAR AL-SHAYYAH (38 years old), said that his brother was carrying out his journalistic duties by covering the activities of supporting and providing aid to displaced people at the “Mawasim Khan Younis” tent settlement in the southern Gaza Strip around 6:00PM on Wednesday.
During the coverage, AHMED was directly targeted by a missile from an Israeli helicopter and was martyred immediately after being hit by shrapnel in his neck. The journalist was retrieved and transported by ambulance to the "Kuwaiti" Hospital in the west of Khan Younis.
(15th Jan.) The cameraman for "The Fourth Authority" Agency, AHMED HISHAM ABU AL-ROUS (29 years old), was martyred on Wednesday evening in the Al-Nuseirat refugee camp after his vehicle was targeted by a missile.
In his statement, AHMED’s father, HISHAM ABU AL-ROUS, said that his son AHMED was driving his vehicle in Al-Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip around 5:00PM on Wednesday to carry out a journalistic assignment when a missile fired from a reconnaissance drone that was flying in the skies directly targeted his vehicle.
AHMED and four other people were martyred immediately after the vehicle caught fire. The bodies were retrieved with great difficulty by civil defense teams and were transported to Al-Awda Hospital in the camp via ambulances.
(16th Jan.) Journalist HAMAM AL-HATTAB was injured with bruises all over his body after being thrown into the air and falling from a height when a missile directly targeted his house in Gaza City early Thursday morning.
In his statement, HAMAM MOUNIR AL-HATTAB (36 years old), a reporter for "Al-Sabah Kuwaiti Channel" said that during the early hours of dawn, while he and his family were sleeping, an Israeli F16 fighter jet launched a missile that directly hit their house without any prior warning. The bombing caused large parts of the house to collapse on its residents. He was injured with bruises all over his body after being thrown into the air and falling to the ground due to the intensity of the explosion.
The journalist was transferred to the Baptist Hospital for medical care. His daughter AMAL, his brother MOHAMMED, his wife, and children were martyred in the attack, while his mother was critically injured.
(16th Jan.) Israeli warplanes destroyed the house of freelance journalist AMER AL-SULTAN in Gaza City by targeting it with a missile on Thursday evening, resulting in the death of his mother, brother, sister, and their families.
According to the testimony of AMER ABDUL-MUTI AL-SULTAN (31 years old), around 10:00PM on Thursday, he was working in the journalists’ tent at the "Shuhada Al-Aqsa" Hospital, preparing news reports about house bombings and the martyrdom of families. He was surprised by a phone call informing him that an Israeli F16 warplane had targeted his family’s four-story house in Gaza City. The missile attack completely destroyed the house, killing his mother, brother, sister, and their families, while he was preparing to meet them after the planned ceasefire, which was scheduled three days after the bombings. The journalist had been separated from them for more than 12 months due to displacement and the restrictions on movement between the Gaza Strip’s governorates.
(19th Jan.) Israeli occupation forces targeted two journalists with live ammunition while covering the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Rafah, southern Gaza, on Sunday morning. They narrowly escaped death.
According to the testimony of freelance journalist MUATH AL-HOMS to the MADA Center, he and his colleague, freelance journalist YASSER ABU ADWAN, were covering the announcement of the ceasefire’s implementation around 10:00AM on Sunday in Rafah, southern Gaza. Both were fully wearing press gear (including vests with press insignia) when they were unexpectedly targeted with heavy gunfire by Israeli military vehicles stationed near the Al-Najma area in the center of the city. They immediately withdrew, stopped the coverage, and narrowly escaped a potential injury.
(19th Jan.) Israeli police detained three female journalists while they were covering the release of a Jerusalemite prisoner in Jabal Al-Mukabber, Jerusalem, on Saturday evening. They obstructed their work and physically assaulted one of them, as well as instructing them to report for questioning the following morning.
According to the testimony of journalist NADINE HUSSAM MOHAMMED JA'FAR (21 years old), she, along with a group of fellow journalists, went to the house of prisoner QASSEM JA'AFRA in Jabal Al-Mukabber to cover his release as part of the first batch in a prisoner exchange.
At around 9:30PM, Israeli soldiers began obstructing the journalists’ work with repeated incursions and withdrawals. One of the soldiers directly told them, “We don’t want journalism here”.
Suddenly, Israeli police entered the house and detained journalists NADINE JA'FAR, MAYSA ABU GHAZALA, and MARAM BUKHARI, a reporter for Roya TV. The question directed to the journalists was, “Do you work for Al-Jazeera?” to which they all responded negatively.
One of the soldiers, who spoke Arabic, took the journalists to be photographed. MARAM was photographed first, followed by MAYSA. When it was NADINE’s turn, a female soldier pushed her towards the wall. NADINE asked her to step back, saying “Leave me alone and take the picture”. At this point, six soldiers gathered around her, one of them pulling her hair from behind, and they began beating her until she lost consciousness. She felt severe pain from the bruises and contusions on her chest, back, and shoulders. As she suffers from migraines, the hair-pulling caused her the most distress.
Afterward, an officer arrived and instructed them to come back the next day for verbal questioning.
The three journalists were held for about twenty (20) minutes before being released.
NADINE and MARAM did not attend the summons as planned the following day, as the verbal summons was not formal and they had not received a written order. However, MAYSA went to the Postal Police station on Salah Al-Din Street in central Jerusalem around 11:00AM the next day. According to her, the meeting was not an investigation but rather a routine interview. She was not asked about any of her colleagues who were with her at the event, only routine questions about her work, which organization she worked for, and the reason for her presence at the location.
(19th Jan.) The Palestinian police detained the Al-Jazeera crew after they completed their coverage of the prisoner exchange deal near Ofer Prison in the Ramallah Governorate on Thursday evening. They were released after three hours, during which they were interrogated and made to sign an agreement not to cover events in Palestinian territories.
According to journalist JIVARA AL-BADRI (48 years old) in her statement to the MADA Center, she, along with broadcast engineer HAMOODA SALAMA and cameraman RAMADAN AFANA, were around 6:30PM on Saturday near Ofer Prison in the Ramallah Governorate, covering the release of the first batch of prisoners. The journalist conducted a live broadcast, until the crew received a phone call from their colleagues informing them that the Palestinian police were looking for them.
While leaving the site, a Palestinian police patrol stopped their vehicle, stating that they were carrying out an order – as confirmed by the police – and requested the IDs of all crew members. They were then asked to head to the Betunia Police Station, as the crew had violated the Attorney General’s decision prohibiting Al-Jazeera from working. At the police station, an initial interrogation took place before they were transferred to the police station in the Al-Balou' neighborhood.
At the Al-Balou’ Police Station, the Director of Police in Ramallah and Al-Bireh spoke with the crew, treating them kindly and showing respect, while emphasizing that the police were merely executing orders, and that the crew had violated the issued decision. He then instructed the crew to provide a statement to the police investigations department.
The security officers who took the statement insisted that it begin with the phrase: "Despite knowing that we and the crew were aware of the work ban, we proceeded with the coverage" explaining that this phrase was crucial to the detention and subsequent charges.
The security officers asked the crew to write and sign the statement, which included a commitment not to return to work in Palestinian territories. They signed the statement before being taken to a large hall for waiting, where they found Al-Jazeera office manager, WALID AL-OMARI, and a representative from the Journalists Syndicate. It was confirmed that the details of the detention and what transpired would not be recorded in the computers, but if the orders were not followed, the matter would be escalated into a case.
The crew left the station around 9:30PM.
(21st Jan.) Freelance journalist AHMED SHAWEESH was injured by a sniper’s bullet fragment in his right hand near Al-Shifa Hospital while covering the Israeli occupation forces’ raid on Jenin refugee camp on Tuesday afternoon.
According to the statement given by freelance journalist AHMED MOHAMMED SHAWEESH to the MADA Center, at around 12:50PM on Tuesday, he received news about the presence of special Israeli forces in Jenin refugee camp. He immediately headed to the area, and upon arriving near Al-Shifa Hospital, he was unable to approach further due to the heavy gunfire from an Israeli sniper stationed in an apartment in the Al-Omari neighborhood at one of the entrances to the camp.
The journalist remained in a distant, concealed spot in front of Al-Shifa Hospital, but despite this, he was hit by a bullet fragment in his right hand due to direct gunfire targeting the citizens and any moving object in the area. His injury was minor, and he did not require medical treatment.
(20th Jan.) Israeli occupation forces arrested Tasnim News Channel reporter FARAH ABU AYYASH from her home in the town of Beit Ummar, Hebron, and interrogated her about her journalistic work. She was released the following evening.
According to a statement given by journalist FARAH MOHAMMED ABU AYYASH to the MADA Center, at approximately 4:00AM on Monday, a military force from the Israeli occupation raided her family’s home in Beit Ummar, northern Hebron.
The soldiers blew open the main entrance of the house and detained the family of eleven (11) members in one room, while they held FARAH in the living room of the house. The soldiers requested her identity card and personal phone. They handcuffed her hands behind her back with plastic ties and blindfolded her before taking her outside the house.
The soldiers placed FARAH in a military jeep, made her sit on the metal floor, and drove her to a military camp near the "Gush Etzion" settlement, south of Bethlehem. The soldiers took her to a doctor’s room, where a medical examination was conducted before moving her to an empty room where she remained sitting on the floor until 9:00AM. She was then transferred to an interrogation room.
The interrogator asked her to unlock her phone and proceeded to search it. He questioned her about the nature of her work, the events she covered in her journalistic duties, and inquired about her personal life and family members.
The interrogation session lasted for approximately seven hours with breaks. Afterward, the interrogator allowed her to speak with a lawyer, and she was released at around 4:00PM near the "Gush Etzion" settlement, where she had been detained.
(21st Jan.) The Israeli occupation forces prevented journalistic crews from covering the military operation in Jenin and its refugee camp and obstructed their work by directing laser beams towards them on Tuesday evening.
According to the report by MOHAMMED ABED (29 years old), a reporter for "Quds News Network," he informed MADA that around 5:30PM on Tuesday, he was present with the crews of "Al-Arabiya TV" reporter AMJAD SHIHADA and cameraman RABEE’ AL-MOUNIR, "Al-Ghad TV" crew, reporter KHALED BDEIR and cameraman SHADI JARRAR'AH, "Roya TV" crew, reporter HAFEZ SABRA and cameraman MAHMOUD FAWZI, freelance journalists MOHAMMAD ATEEK, AMR MANASERA, SHATHA HANAYSHA, OBADA AL-TAHAINA, and WAHHAJ BANI MUFLIH.
While they were present to cover the military operation carried out by the soldiers in Jenin camp, near the hospital street and close to "Al-Shifa" hospital, a military jeep was positioned near "Jenin Government Hospital" along the same street. The soldiers began directing laser beams towards the journalists and their crews, which obstructed their work and prevented them from continuing their coverage.
(22nd Jan.) The Israeli military bulldozers prevented several journalists from covering the raid on Jenin city and obstructed their work while they were near the "Haifa" Gas Station on Wednesday afternoon.
According to the report by MOHAMMED SAMIR ABED (29 years old), a reporter for "Quds News Network," to MADA’s field researcher, at 2:20PM on Wednesday, he was standing near the "Haifa" Gas Station on "Haifa" Street in Jenin, where military bulldozers, including a wheeled bulldozer and a D9 bulldozer, were present to prevent journalists from covering and to chase and threaten them with being run over. One of the bulldozers chased the cameraman from "Roya TV," MAHMOUD FAWZI, while he was broadcasting live coverage.
Present at the scene were the "Al-Ghad" TV crew, reporter KHALED BDEIR and cameraman SHADI JARRAR'AH, the "Wafa" News Agency crew, reporter BASSAM ABU ROB and cameraman MOHAMMAD MANSOUR, "Awdah TV" reporter ANAS HOUSHIYA, freelance journalist MOHAMMAD ATEEK, and the "Roya TV" crew, reporter HAFEZ SABRA and cameraman MAHMOUD FAWZI.
(23rd Jan.) The Israeli forces prevented the Palestine TV crew from covering the Israeli assault on Jenin city and its refugee camp on Thursday morning and threatened to raid their office at any moment.
According to the statement by Palestine TV cameraman SAKHER TALEB ZAWAITEH (36 years old) to MADA, he was present with TV reporter AMINA BILALO and cameraman BASHAR SAMOUDI at around 9:00AM on Thursday to cover the ongoing Israeli raid on Jenin city, which had started on January 21st.
While the crew was broadcasting live near the Internal Roundabout west of Jenin city, they were suddenly confronted by a foot patrol from the Israeli army. One of the soldiers asked for their IDs, detained them for half an hour, and prevented them from filming. The soldier also threatened to raid their office if they continued their coverage. After the half-hour had passed, the soldiers ordered them to leave the area immediately.
(23rd Jan.) The Israeli forces prevented the "Al-Arabiya TV" crew from covering the raid around the Jenin camp on Thursday. The soldiers obstructed the crew’s work by attempting to confiscate their journalistic equipment and verbally abusing them with obscene language.
According to "Al-Arabiya TV" reporter AMEED ZAID SHIHADA (37 years old), speaking to MADA’s field researcher, he arrived around 11:30AM on Thursday with the channel’s cameraman RABEE’ MOUNIR (42 years old) to the western area of Jenin camp, after being informed by the Red Crescent and ambulance teams that Israeli soldiers were forcing residents of the area to leave.
The crew arrived to cover the displacement of citizens, and they saw an elderly woman being helped by children to move her from a wheelchair through the mud. In the background, Israeli soldiers were present. All those in the area were elderly, children, and women.
While they were covering these violations against civilians, four soldiers left their position and approached the "Al-Arabiya TV" crew, who were broadcasting live. The soldiers stopped the broadcast, placed their hands on the camera, and tried to stop it and confiscate the equipment, claiming they needed it and had to take it.
The crew informed them that they would leave the area if that was their wish, but if the soldiers wanted the crew to stay 100 meters away, they would remain, though they wouldn’t hand over the equipment.
The soldiers insisted on confiscating the equipment, but reporter AMEED managed to distract them long enough for the cameraman to move away from the area. He gave them his foreign press card and began discussing it with them. Meanwhile, the soldiers tried in every way to take the equipment, but he prevented them. They started insulting him, took a picture of his foreign press card, and threatened to seize the equipment and arrest him while continuing to abuse him with foul language.
(25th Jan.) The Facebook and Instagram accounts, both owned by Meta, of journalist and cartoonist MAHMOUD ABBAS, who has thousands of followers, were restricted under the pretext of supporting terrorism after he posted a caricature of the former head of Hamas’s political bureau.
According to journalist and cartoonist MAHMOUD NAEEM ABBAS (38 years old), who works in the digital sector at Al Jazeera, he has faced such harassment on social media platforms since the start of the Gaza war on October 7th, 2023.
However, on January 25th, he received a message on his personal Facebook account notifying him that "the account has some issues" and his account, which is followed by nearly a quarter of a million people, was restricted under the claim of "supporting terrorist movements”.
The message came after he posted a caricature of former Hamas political bureau chief "YAHYA SINWAR" which included some poetry.
Simultaneously, Instagram reduced the reach of his account and the views of his followers, with many of his followers informing him that they were not seeing his content on their pages unless they directly searched for his profile.
The journalist noted that his content no longer reaches the public, whereas previously his account would receive nearly 30 million views.
(28th Jan.) The reporter for "Quds Feed" was injured by shrapnel from a bullet in her right hand on Tuesday afternoon when she was directly targeted while covering the military operation launched by Israeli forces in the city of Tulkarm and its refugee camps. Additionally, Israeli soldiers targeted journalists and press crews with sound bombs and tear gas to prevent them from reporting on the same day.
According to the testimony of journalist HAMZA MAHMOUD HAMDAN (23 years old) of "Quds News Network" to the field researcher at the MADA Center, several journalistic crews were present around the "Thabit Thabit" Hospital in the city of Tulkarm around 11:30AM on Tuesday to cover the military operation that Israeli forces had begun in the city. The journalists included: "Al-Ghad" reporter DIAA HOUSHIA, "Roya" crew including reporter HAFEZ ABU SABRA and cameraman MAHMOUD FAWZI, "Al-Arabiya" crew including reporter FADI AL-ASSA and cameraman MAHMOUD KHALAAF, "Palestine Post" reporter ROWA DUREIDI, freelance journalist SUHAIB ABU DIAK (22 years old), "Anadolu Turkish Agency" crew including ISSAM AL-RIMAWI and HISHAM ABU SHUQRA, freelance journalist TASNEEM SALIT, "Quds Feed" reporter NAGHAM BILAL ZAIT (24 years old), freelance journalist WAFAA ABDUL HADI, and freelance journalist RAGHAD SALAMA.
From the beginning of the coverage, Israeli forces attempted to prevent the journalists from reporting by calling through loudspeakers for them to leave the area. At around 11:55AM, a military jeep approached, and one of the soldiers opened the door and threw a tear gas grenade toward the journalists to disperse them. After about 15 minutes, the soldiers threw a sound bomb to further push the journalists away and prevent them from covering the event. A few minutes later, the soldiers threw more tear gas grenades, forcing the journalists and media crews to withdraw from the area, thus obstructing their work.
In the afternoon of the same day, at around 3:00PM, freelance journalist SUHAIB ABU DIAK and "Quds Feed" reporter NAGHM BILAL ZAIT, both dressed in press attire, were near the "Shahid" junction around the Tulkarm refugee camp to continue their coverage, as Israeli forces were still surrounding the area near "Martyr Thabit Thabit" Hospital. While in the area, one of the Israeli soldiers directly targeted them with live ammunition, firing four shots. One of the bullets hit a nearby column, and shrapnel from it struck the right hand of journalist NAGHAM. She was subsequently transferred to the Red Crescent Center for treatment.
(28th Jan.) Israeli intelligence summoned the journalist ASHWAQ AWAD, who was released in the first phase of the prisoner exchange deal, for an interview on the day of her release, January 19th. She went to the appointment as scheduled on Tuesday, January 28th, but the appointment was postponed without being informed of the new date.
In her testimony, journalist ASHWAQ MOHAMMAD AWAD mentioned that she was notified of the interview by a Shin Bet officer before her release, as part of the first phase of the recent prisoner exchange deal.
At around 8:00AM on Tuesday, the freelance journalist ASHWAQ MOHAMMAD IYAD AWAD, a resident of Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron, went to the Israeli intelligence (Shin Bet) headquarters in the "Gush Etzion" settlement, south of Bethlehem. She waited in the reception area until 4:00PM, at which point the guards closed the gate and asked her to leave without informing her of a rescheduled appointment.
(31st Jan.) Israeli forces obstructed journalists’ work around the area of "Al-Amal Hospital" and prevented them from covering the events on Friday morning, forcing them to retreat to a distance where they were no longer able to report.
According to the testimony of Al-Ghad TV cameraman SHADI YASSER JARRA'AH (33 years old) to the "MADA" Center, he, along with Al-Ghad TV reporter KHALED BADEER, Palestine TV team consisting of reporter AMINA BILALO and cameraman TAREK ABU ZAID, freelance journalist AHMAD SHAWEESH, Jerusalem newspaper cameraman ALI AL-SAMOUDI, and freelance journalist OBADA TAHAINEH, all headed around 9:30AM on Friday towards the vicinity of Jenin Camp to cover the movements of Israeli military vehicles in the area, which had been under raid for ten days.
While standing near "Al-Amal Hospital" in Jenin, a military jeep approached them, and the soldiers asked them to move back towards "Al-Shifa Hospital," about 20 meters away. After they moved, the same jeep returned shortly and ordered them to move further back to the "Cinema Square" in the center of Jenin city, a location far away from the events they were trying to cover, preventing them from continuing their work and forcing them to stop their coverage.
(31st Jan.) Israeli forces detained freelance journalist RAGHDA SALAMEH in Tulkarem Refugee Camp on Friday for about one hour and a half while she was with the Red Crescent teams covering the distribution of aid to the camp’s residents.
According to RAGHDA KHALED SALAMEH’s (25 years old) testimony to the field researcher at the "MADA" Center, she had headed to the camp with the Red Crescent teams around 4:00PM on Friday after receiving approval from Israeli soldiers to enter Tulkarem Camp to deliver aid to the residents. Upon arriving at the camp’s entrance, a military liaison officer was present to secure their entry and was informed by the Red Crescent team that they wished to bring RAGHDA with them as a journalist to cover the aid distribution.
The officer took their personal IDs and submitted them to the Israeli leadership for verification in order to grant them access. The coordination process lasted for an hour before they received approval.
When they reached the "School Street" the main street inside the camp, they encountered a walking military unit that ordered them to stop and not move. They asked the ambulance driver to step out, removed his protective gear, checked his phone, and then took him out of the vehicle, subjecting him to the same treatment.
At 5:20PM, the journalist was taken out of the vehicle and subjected to field questioning about her presence in the camp, which organization she was working with, why she entered to take photos, and the purpose of her visit with the Red Crescent team. They repeatedly asked her if she worked with Al Jazeera and whether she had any ties to Hamas or the Tulkarem Brigade, as well as if she could speak Hebrew.
When asked about her presence with the Red Crescent team, she answered that she was there to cover the aid distribution process.
She was released along with the Red Crescent team, and they left the camp at 6:40PM, after about one hour and a half of detention.
