Although declining: media freedoms violation continued in Palestinian territories during last July
last July witnessed significant decline, in media freedoms violation in Palestinian territories, compared with the previous month, but Hamas control in the Gaza Strip still reflect the negative consequences on the situation of media institutions, in the Palestinian territories, media outlets, which were seized, closed, threatened, or stolen still stopped from broadcasting, working, printing or distributing.
Caution and fear still govern a lot of journalists work, threat campaigns to journalists and media outlets continued, for example Al-Akhbar Lebanese newspaper reporter in West Bank Sami Sa’id receiving death threat on his mobile phone early in the month (July 2), and Palestinian public TV received anonymous phone call that there are bombed car, in front of the television headquarters in Ramallah, later in the month (July 28), a lot of threats between the two dates.
The most positive event on media freedoms was BBC correspondent Alan Johnston release in the fourth of last month.
On the other hand, the Israeli occupation forces continued their attacks on Palestinian journalists, which the most serious was, intended attempt to murder the Aqsa TV cameraman Imad Ghanem, which demonstrates not only the extent of occupying forces fribble of human life, but the wish to conceal their crimes against Palestinians, through the clear targeting of journalists.
The attacks on Palestinian journalists last month extended to include Iraq, where Palestinian journalist Khalid Walid Al-Nabahani (25 years) was assassinated, by fire of unknowns.
Mada center:
- Condemns all attacks on journalists, whether committed by the Israeli occupation forces, armed Palestinian groups, or Palestinian security services.
- Expressing surprise at (lukewarm) reactions of the international community, to the crime targeting cameraman Imad Ghanem, by the Israeli occupation forces, which the world has seen it in live broadcast, by Aljazeera live, that will encourage Israeli occupying forces, to commit further crimes against journalists, without fear of any serious reactions.
- Renews demand for Salam Fayyad government, dismissed Esmaeil Haniya government, to empower media outlets , which stopped working, or distributing, in Palestinian territories, as a result of Gaza Strip events last month, to return to work freely and safely.
- Demands Hamas and Fatah leadership to instruct their members and affiliated armed groups, to cease all practices contrary to Palestinian basic law, printing and publishing law, and all international charters, which guarantees freedom of opinion and expression.
- Call on media outlets, especially those controlled by Fatah and Hamas, to reconsider its media message, and to adhere to professional ethics and standards.
- Demands to prosecute all those responsible for attacks on journalists, media outlets, and bring them to justice.
———————————

Monthly Summary Report

1. (July 2) - Aqsa TV Director in West Bank Mohammed Hassan Ishteyeh was arrested, by Palestinian security services, he was released two days later, Ishteyeh disappeared from sight, after the shooting at his office (Mass press), on 13th of last June, in Tulkarem city.
2. (July 5) - Aqsa TV cameraman Imad Ghanem was seriously wounded, by Israeli occupation forces , they fired at him three times from short distance aiming to kill him, despite he was carrying camera ,when he was shot in the first time, and it presence at his side as he lay down on the ground in the following two times, during his coverage of Israeli incursion, in the Bureij refugee camp (Gaza Strip), the shooting at him prevented without colleagues attempts to transport him to the hospital for treatment, only after the withdrawal of the invading forces, his legs were amputated, as a result of the serious injuries.
3. (July 5) - Reuters and Arabiya channel crews, were fired at by Israeli occupation forces, during incursion in Maqbula area east of Bureij, which forced them to seek refuge in a house nearby, but the occupation soldiers opened fire on the house again intensively.
4. (July 6) - Al-Esteqlal (Independence) weekly newspaper, which is issued in Gaza City, sopped its printing, as a result of printing paper lack, due to the continued closure of Israeli occupation authorities, of the crossings leading to Gaza Strip.
5. (July 11) - Palestine Public TV general director Mohamed Dawoudi house, located in journalists Tower in Gaza City, was raided by the executive force, they tried to arrest him but the intervention of many journalists sopped them, they confiscated his mobile phone and his car, they were returned to him the following day. Palestinian TV broadcasting from Gaza City was ceased and transferred to Ramallah, on the 14th of last June, after the takeover of Gaza Strip by Hamas , and surrounding of the channel building.
6. (July 12) - Reuters photographers Ibrahim Abu Mustafa, and Bassam Masoud, Ramatan Agency cameraman Rami Abu Shamallah, were detained for short time, by executive force, in its operational headquarters located within Nasser hospital, where they were ordered to destroy clips show shoot in the air by the executive force, to disperse two demonstrations, one of Fatah and other national forces, in Khanions city.
7. (July 19) - WAFA agency photographer Jihad Nakhlah, was slightly wounded by rubber bullet, fired by an Israeli occupation soldiers, during his coverage of Israeli forces raid, in Jalazon refugee camp, near Ramallah city.
8. (July 24) - Afaq TV, in Nablus city, was raided by armed Palestinian group, where they opened fire on six computers, four television sets, and the windows and cabinets glass, which resulting in television broadcast suspension, in pretext The TV broadcast news bulletin on tape news distributed by the Palestinian News Network(PNN), accusing Fatah movement of responsibility for the events in Al-Najah University, that was the third attack in the last three months on Afaq TV, where it was attacked by a armed Palestinian group on 17th of June, and by the Israeli occupation forces on 21st of May.
9. (July 30) - daily newspapers (Al-Hayat Al-Jadedah, Al-Ayyam, Al-Quds (published in West Bank), and seven of its distributors, in Gaza Strip , were seized for three hours, by the executive force, after entering Beit Hanoun (Eretz) crossing , on pretext that it published false news about executive force, did not publish news about its achievements, It is noteworthy that these newspapers were prevented from entering Gaze Strip during last June for 27 days, by Israeli occupation authorities, while Felesteen daily newspaper, Al-Resalah weekly newspaper published in Gaza, still had not circulated in West Bank, due to Al-Ayyam printery refusal to print the , which received threat in the 16th of last June, not to print them.