Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (Mada)

Violations of media freedoms in OPT during January 2009

 

Mada: brutal Israeli violations against Palestinian media in Gaza

 

In January, Israel committed brutal violations against Palestinian media during the aggression on the Gaza Strip, killing four journalists: Basil Faraj, Ihab Wahidi, A’laa Murtaja, Omar Silawi, and wounding seven others: Ayman Alrozi, Mohamed Soussi, Khalid Abu-Shamalah, Mohamed Tanani, Mohammed Madi, Ehab Shawa, and Mannar Shalolah.

 

Israeli forces also bombed the headquarters of: Aqsa TV, Aqsa Radio, “Al-Resaleh" newspaper, the headquarters of Rantisi printing press, and “Alshouroq" and “Aljawharah", towers, where a large number of local, Arab and international media offices are located.

 

The bombing also destroyed and damaged houses and apartments of journalists and media workers: Ashraf Kafarneh, Anas Rihan, Khalid al-Zahar, Adnan Alborsh, Ziad Abu Khoussa, Sameer Khalifah, Hussein Abdel-Rahman, Muhammad al-Jamal, Yusef Atwah, and Ismail Khadir Zanoun.

 

The continued Israeli bombardment forced “Felesteen" daily newspaper, published in Gaza city, to suspend its publication from the third day of the war until January 19, and “Al-Resaleh" weekly newspaper during the three weeks of aggression.

 

In addition, there were also violations in the West Bank, which led to the wounding of the journalists Khalil Ryash, Abbas Moumni, and Mohamed Muheisen.

 

Throughout the war, Israeli occupation authorities prevented journalists from entering Gaza Strip, and even continued to ban entry about a week after the cease-fire, in clear violation of freedom of opinion and expression. The result was that crimes of war were blocked from international public opinion, which forced one-sided coverage, and the result was that coverage by most international media was not objective.

 

A large group of Israeli journalists and the media played a part in inciting the war on Gaza and called for continuing it thereafter. They imposed a blackout on what is happening in the Gaza Strip, and excessive self-censorship was exercised, in addition to military censorship. This led eight Israeli non-governmental organizations, including B’Tselem and Kishv to send a message to all the Israeli media, criticizing that views critical of the decision to attack, or the conduct of the army during the war, were rarely heard.

 

More than that, the Israeli journalist Ehud Yaari made accusations against Al-A’lam TV reporter Khader Shaheen, which led to his arrest along with his producer Mohamed Sarhan.

 

Mada welcomes the order issued by Interior Minister Abdel Razaq Al-Yahya on January 8, in which he stressed the need to respect journalists and facilitate their tasks during the coverage of various events.

Mada denounces the Palestinian security services’ prevention of Solidarity marches and prevention of journalists from covering some of those marches, and attacks on some of them, such as Majdi Ishtiyeh, Najib Farraj and Jamal Aruori. In addition to the campaign of arrests and summons among correspondents of Quds TV (Samer Khuerah, Ahmad Bikkawi, Ibrahim al-Rantisi and Mamdouh Hamamreh), and arrest of WAFA photographer Esam Rimawi, and “Al-Ahram Weekly" correspondent Khaled Amayreh , in the West Bank .

 

Mada expresses appreciation to all colleagues in the Gaza Strip, who have worked in compelling circumstances, and in light of significant risks, and who were able to convey to the world by word and image over the course of the aggression on the hour.

 

Mada expresses strong condemnation of the Israeli attacks against Palestinian journalists and media outlets.

 

Mada:

• Renews the call for the formation of an independent international commission to investigate the attacks on journalists and media outlets in Gaza strip, and to prosecute those responsible and bring them to justice.
• Calls upon the international community to put pressure on the government of Israel to stop ongoing violations of freedom of the press in the occupied Palestinian territories, and to force them to pay compensation to the media organizations whose headquarters were bombed, which exceeds  $6,000,000.
• Calls for the local media and international media to be allowed access to the Gaza Strip, completely and freely.
• Calls on the Palestinian security services to stop attacks on journalists and allow them to operate freely.

 

Details of violations:

 

(Jan.2) – Reuters photographer Yusri Al-Jamal was attacked by the Israeli occupation forces. Al-Jamal said that he went to cover a march in Biet Ommer town (Hebron). When he arrived there, he prepared his camera, then an Israeli officer rushed at him, pushed him with his hand and said, “Go away from here this is closed military area." Then he took the camera and threw it on the ground, and when Al-Jamal protested, the officer strongly hit him against a wall. Al-Jamal was transferred to the Ahli hospital in Hebron for treatment of bruises.

 

 (Jan.2) – Agence France Press photographer Abbas Moumni was injured by the Israeli occupation forces. Moumni said that he was wounded during his coverage of a Palestinian march near Kalandia checkpoint, north of Jerusalem, by shrapnel from a bullet in the left leg; he was taken to the Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Ramallah to receive treatment.

 

(Jan.2) – “Al-Ayyam" photographer Jamal Aruori was detained by Palestinian police in Ramallah. Aruori said that he was covering a march in Ramallah city, when the police asked him to stop taking photos, and confiscated one of his cameras. Then he was taken to the police station, where they confiscated his second camera and mobile. After about a quarter of an hour they released him, apologized to him, and returned his confiscated equipment.

 

(Jan.2) – AP photographer Majdi Mohamed Ishtiyeh (26 years) was attacked by Palestinian military intelligence. Ishtiyeh said that that he was covering a march in Ramallah, when a security man in civilian clothing shouted at him, “stop taking pictures", then he was attacked by two of them, who took him by force to a nearby building, where one of them hit him by his head on his nose, and he lost consciousness. When he woke up shortly after that, they transferred him to the headquarters of intelligence. When bleeding from his nose was renewed, he told the officer in charge he needed treatment, so one of them took him to Ramallah hospital where he was given an initial treatment, and told him that he was suffering a broken nose and that he needed an operation. After several days later the operation to his nose was done in hospital in Nablus.

 

(Jan.3) - Aqsa TV cameraman Omar Abdel-Hafiz Silawi (28 years) was killed in Beit Lahiya city (GS) after Israeli forces shelled Dr. Ibrahim Makadmeh mosque. His colleague Ibrahim Muslim said that they were covering the Israeli bombing in that area throughout the day, in particular, Kamal Adwan field hospital and the nearby areas. Silawi was filming and transferred videos to the place where the TV was broadcasting, then he transferred his wife to the hospital to give birth, then returned to take his camera and went to the mosque, which is 100m away from the hospital, and when it was bombed, he was seriously injured. “When I saw him on a stretcher sometimes I was filming him and sometimes helping they race him to the hospital," said his colleague. “I was crying. They tried to treat him but without results. Our comfort is that his wife gave birth safely to a son."

 

(Jan.3) – “Al-Resaleh" weekly newspaper headquarters was bombed by Israeli military aircraft in Gaza city. Its chief editor Waseem Afifah said that an Israeli Apache helicopter bombed the headquarters of the newspaper in the El Ajrami building with three rockets at about 4:30 pm, which led to extensive damage to the headquarters, the furniture, computers, and electrical appliances. He confirmed that an independent committee assessed the damage with an estimated amount of about $60,000. He mentioned that the paper ceased publication during the aggression. Israeli aircraft also bombed, shortly after that the Rantisi printing headquarters, in which the newspaper was printed.

 

(Jan.3) – Al-Aqsa TV frequencies were penetrated by the Israeli occupation forces, where they broadcasted propaganda directed against Hamas and the Palestinian resistance factions. It was repeated several times during the aggression. The occupation forces destroyed the headquarters of al-Aqsa Television on December 28, 2008. Al-Aqsa TV head of programs Sameer Abu Muhsen said that the loss resulting from the destruction of the television is estimated at about six million dollars - five million was the price of appliances and equipment, and one million dollars for the construction cost of the five-floor building.

 

(Jan.4) – Al-Aqsa Radio headquarters was bombed by Israeli aircraft, in Gaza city. Its Director Ibrahim Thaher said that an Israeli Apache bombed the headquarters at around 7pm, which led to the destruction of the building that houses the store of fuel, equipment and standby transmitters. None of the employees was hurt, and the damage was estimated at $60,000.

 

(Jan.4) – “Al-Ayyam" newspaper correspondent Mohammed al-Jamal’s house was destroyed in Yebna refugee camp south of Rafah city. Al-Jamal said that he was alone in the house when an Israeli drone aircraft fired missiles at around 10 am. “Suddenly I heard a huge explosion, and I felt as if someone threw me from the chair, and on the ground. My head hit the wall and I lost consciousness for a moment". He left the house after that, and the house area was bombed again by two missiles from an F-16, “Then I rushed to the house and found piles of stones and cracked walls and broken roofs."

 

(Jan.5) Al-A’lam TV correspondent Khader Shaheen and producer Muhammad Sarhan were arrested by Israeli police on the pretext of violating military censorship. His colleague Fares Saraffandi said that journalist Ehud Yaari of Israeli Channel Two TV made allegations against Shaheen, on the grounds that he is an Israel citizen working with Iran (Shaheen has Israeli ID), and that he reported the movement of the Israeli army on Jan.3 at 6:30 pm, while claiming that the army announced the beginning of the operation at 8 pm. Israeli police searched for him the next day in Sederot town, but did not find him. When he learned about it, he went to the police station in Jerusalem on Monday, accompanied by his lawyer, cameraman Ahmad Jalajil and producer Mohamed Sarhan. After three hours of examination, the police asked them to go to the police station in Petah Tikva city (near Tel Aviv). They went there and after two hours of investigation, Shahin and Sarhan were arrested, and Jalajil was released, and they asked the lawyer to leave. They were released on Jan.15 on the basis of the Court’s decision, on bail of 300,000 shekels (about $75,000). They are under house arrest and ordered to stop their journalistic work until trial.

 

(Jan.6) - Algerian TV assistant cameraman Basil Ibrahim Faraj (22 years) died due to a serious injury he suffered in the head on the first day of the aggression (Jan. 27), when Israeli aircraft bombed one of the towers in the Tal El-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza city. A correspondent of Channel Two Moroccan television, Khalid Saeed Abu Shammala (26), who was also with him, said Faraj lost consciousness and was transferred to Shifa hospital, and after several days was transferred to an Egyptian hospital, where he died on Jan. 7.

 

(Jan.6) - Ramattan News Agency production director Yusef Ahmed Atwa’s house was occupied by the Israeli occupation forces. Atwah said that the Israeli soldiers turned the house in the Israa neighborhood in Gaza city into a military post, until their withdrawal on 18 January, where they vandalized the furniture. Also the house was damaged slightly as a result of the resistance men firing at the soldiers, who were inside the house.

 

(Jan.1) – “Al-Quds" newspaper correspondent Najeeb Farraj was threatened and verbally attacked by members of the Palestinian police. Faraj said that he saw a group of Palestinian police attacking a young boy, after chasing a group of youths who were demonstrating near Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem. He prepared his camera for filming, but one of them asked him to shut down the camera, so he closed it, but another one insulted him, then they left the scene, but one of them returned back and threatened him if he published any picture of the incident.

 

(Jan.8) - Palestinian Public TV cameraman Ihab Jamal Wahidi (33 years), was killed by Israeli occupation forces in the Tower of doctors in Gaza city. His wife Ihsan Abu-Jaber Naja said that she was standing with her husband and her mother Ruqaya Abu Naja on the seventh floor apartment balcony. She said, “We were talking about general matters, when suddenly I heard my husband saying “look" and I saw a shell heading towards us." The shell hit her mother directly, and Ihab was killed immediately and fell from the seventh floor onto the ground. The medical report from the Red Crescent Hospital confirmed his death occurred before he fell from the balcony. She was injured by shrapnel in the lungs and suffered internal bleeding, and she was taken to the nearby Red Crescent hospital to receive treatment. She confirmed that they were targeted because a missile or a shell was fired at the apartment minutes after the first one, although the area had not witnessed any military activity in that period, and whomever shot them knew they were civilians, because they were standing in the open air on the balcony.

 

 (Jan.8) – Editor for Saudi Ekhpareyah TV Manar Shalolah (26 years) was slightly injured in his head when Al-Jawharah (Jewel) tower was bombed by an Israeli airplane. The building is used by Media Group as a place for live broadcast for a number of TV channels, to whom it provides media services. Media Group Chairman Atef Isa said that the bombardment was during the live broadcast for Al-A’lam Iranian TV, and there were also more than twenty journalists on the roof. The bombing was about eight meters from the journalists. He stressed that the Israeli army knows that the surface is used for live broadcasts, where there are press signs, in addition they contacted Israeli army spokesman Afihai Adra’ei and told him about the place since the first day of the war, and he had confirmed that the place would not be bombed.

 

(Jan.9) - Alwan Radio broadcaster A’la Hammad Murtaja (25 years) was killed after being seriously injured by the bombing of his house in the Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza city, by an Israeli tank. His colleague Mazen Belbaysi said that Murtaja took leave for two hours and went to his home at approximately six pm when he was seriously wounded in the leg by the bombing of his home. He was taken to Shifa hospital, and died at about 10 pm, while an Aljazeera correspondent was preparing to interview him. His mother was seriously injured in the incident.

 

(Jan.19) - BBC Arabic producer Ziad Taleb Abu Khoussa’s house was moderately damaged by an Israeli tank shell in the Atatra village (Beit Lahia). Abu Khoussa said that the Israeli occupation forces had shelled the houses adjacent to their home since the first day of the land offensive on 5 December. About a hundred relatives and neighbors had gathered in the shelter of the house, without food or water and, on 9 January, a nearby gas station was bombed, which led to the fire along the wall of the house. They fled it for fear of fire, then three artillery shells were shot at them, which led to damage to the house.

 

(Jan.9) Maan News Agency photographer Khalil Ryashwas was wounded by Israeli occupation forces in Jayyous village (Qalqilya-WB), which led to injuries in his right leg, according to Maan. He was transferred to Dr. Darwish Hospital in Qalqilya city to receive treatment

 

(Jan.9) - Associated Press photographer Mohammed Muheisen was injured by the Israeli occupation forces while covering a demonstration near the Qalandya checkpoint north of Jerusalem. Muheisen said that he was hit by a gas bomb in the chest under the heart, and lost consciousness after the impact caused by inhalation of large quantities of gas. He was transferred to the Sheikh Zayed hospital in Ramallah, where the doctors diagnosed a fracture in a rib.

 

(Jan.10) - Sudanese TV correspondent Sameer Khalifa’s apartment was shelled by the Israeli occupation forces in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza city. Khalifa said that one artillery shell fired by Israeli forces at around 6 am hit the apartment in the fourth floor of the building and caused large damage, but none of his family was hurt, because they had moved to live in his parents’ apartment on the second floor of the same building.

 

(Jan.13) – The apartments of WAFA agency correspondent Khader Zanoun, and his brother Ismail Zanoun, a Ramatan News Agency photographer, were shelled by Israeli occupation forces in Tal El-Hawa neighborhood in Gaza city. Zanoun said that an Israeli Apache helicopter shelled the two apartments in addition to his parents’ apartment, in the same building on the fourth floor, at about 7:30 pm, causing major damage to the three apartments and furniture, in addition to burning the kitchen of his apartment.

 

(Jan.13) – Al-Aqsa TV programs director Sameer Abu Mohsen’s apartment, was shelled by Israeli occupation forces in Gaza city. Abu Mohsen said that an Israeli tank shelled his apartment in Tel-Hawa neighborhood in Gaza city at around 4 am, causing significant damage to the apartment. No one was hurt because Abu Mohsen had sent his wife to her family home since the first day of the aggression, and he was at work during the shelling.

 

(Jan.15) – Abu Dhabi TV cameraman Mohamed Sobhi al Sosi (33 years) and montage technician Ayman Yousef Al-Rouzi (33 years) were injured The Israeli occupation forces shelled the Abu Dhabi TV office in Al-Shoruoq tower in Gaza city. Al -Rouzi said that they were in the office when an Israeli shell hit the office at 11:30 am. He was injured in the head, and Al-Sosi in his left hand, and they were transferred to Shefa hospital and received treatment. Abu Dhabi TV office operates through Gaza Center for Information, which provides media services to a number of Arab television channels and media outlets. The shell also led to the destruction of most of the television transmitters, TV cameras and production equipment, according to a Gaza Center for Information statement. In Al-Shoruoq tower there are also offices of a number of local, Arab and international media.

 

(Jan.17) - Yemen TV correspondent Adnan Na’man Al-Borsh’s (29 years) home was shelled by the Israeli occupation forces in Jabalia town. Al-Borsh said that the Israeli occupation forces shelled the area with artillery and missiles, which led to partial damage. It is worth mentioning the Yemen TV receives Media services from Ramattan agency.

 

(Jan.17) - Ramattan agency cameraman Anas Attallah Rihan’s (27 years) home was destroyed by the Israeli occupation forces in Gaza city. Rihan said that he went that day to cover the Israeli artillery bombardment of Al Isra neighborhood of Gaza city, and found that his house was destroyed by artillery shelling. No one of his family was hurt, because they left the house several days ago.

 

(Jan.17) - Ramattan agency producer Khalid Mahmud al-Zahra’s home was shelled by Israeli occupation forces in Mughraqa village south of Gaza city. Al-Zahra said that an Israeli tank fired two shells at the house, which led to significant damage, but no one of his family was hurt because they were sheltering in the next apartment. The house had been shot several times during the war.

 

(Jan.17) - Ramattan agency cameraman Ashraf Kafarneh’s home was blown up by the Israeli occupation forces in Beit Hanoun city. Kafarneh said that the Israeli forces fired missiles and bullets at the house. His family fled from the house, then the soldiers raided it and then blew it up at about 11 am. The house is composed of four apartments for himself and his brothers.

 

(Jan.18) – “Al-Ahram" Weekly correspondent Khalid Amayreh was arrested by Palestinian Preventive Security Service in Hebron city. Amayreh said that he was summoned to their office in Dura town. When he went there he was transferred to their headquarters in Hebron city, where he was arrested and interrogated about his recently published articles. The Preventive Security Service said in a statement that the cause of the arrest came because of Amayreh’s incitement and abuse of the Palestinian National Authority and the security services, as well as working on creating discord and differences between Palestinian factions and the Palestinian people, during the aggression on Gaza. He was released after two days of detention.

 

(Jan.-) - Ramattan monitor Abdul Rahman Mohammed Hussein’s (24 years) house was burned by Israeli occupation forces. Hussein said that they left their home in al-Atatrah village, north of Gaza strip, since the first day of the war, and returned to it after the ceasefire on 18 January. They found the first floor of the house was burnt. It was clear that the soldiers were staying on the second floor. In addition the tanks had destroyed three of the family cars, which were parked in front of the house.

 

(Jan.24) – Quds TV correspondent Samer Khuerah was arrested by the Palestinian Preventive Security Service in Nablus city. According to Quds TV sources in Ramallah, Khuyrah was arrested after he was summoned for investigation. Members of Preventive Security came to Quds TV office in Nablus two days before, and they interrogated him about his work in Quds TV.

 

(Jan.26) – WAFA Agency photographer Esam Huda Rimawi was arrested by the Palestinian Preventive Security Service in Ramallah city. Rimawi’s family said that three security officers in civilian clothes and four in uniform came to his office, and asked him to accompany them for a little while. He went with them, where he was arrested. Rimawi works also for other media outlets.

 

(Jan.26) - Quds TV correspondent in Jenin city Ahmed Ali Bikkawi (30 years) was arrested by the Palestinian intelligence service in Ramallah city. According to Quds TV sources in Ramallah, Bikkawi was summoned to their headquarters, while he was in work mission in Ramallah. he was arrested after arriving at the headquarters in Ramallah.

 

(Jan.27) - Quds TV correspondent in Ramallah Ibrahim A’hed Rantisi was summoned by the Palestinian military intelligence service. Rantisi said that he was summoned on the previous day by them. After his arrival at 9 am at the security headquarters in Ramallah he was placed in one of the offices for half an hour and then one of the investigators came and took him to another room and blindfolded him and asked him to stand and raise his hands up. After half an hour he brought down his hands because he was tired, but the investigator asked him to raise his hands again. He said he was tired and couldn’t lift them again. After that the investigation began, with him blindfolded, about his work in Quds TV and personal and public issues. He was released at about 2 m.

 

(Jan.27) - Quds TV correspondent in Bethlehem Mamdouh Mahmud Hamamrah (24 years) was summoned by the Palestinian intelligence service. He went to their headquarters in Bethlehem city at 12 pm. They investigated him about his work in Quds TV, and many personal things. He was released at 2 pm.