MADA: Dangerously targeting of journalists and major violations by the Occupation during February
February witnessed a serious escalation of violations by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) against journalists in the occupied Palestine, embodied by the targeting of journalists with rubber bullets and tear gas, preventing them with violence from covering events, the detention of a cartoonist, and extending the administrative detention of another journalist.
There have been many violations during February 2013, which were monitored by the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) during the journalists' coverage of public solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners, who have been on hunger strike for several months.
MADA reported only three violations committed by Palestinians in February, one occurred in the West Bank and two in Gaza. While MADA welcomes the tangible decline in Palestinian violations against media freedoms since the start of 2013, it calls on the related authorities to stop their violations against journalists and allow them to operate freely, and to re-print and distribute banned newspapers in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
MADA condemns all violations against journalists, and expresses its concern from the escalation of violations by the IOF and the danger they pose on the safety and lives of journalists. MADA also calls upon the international community to intervene immediately and pressure the occupation authorities in order to stop the violations against journalists, and to release the journalist Amer Abu Arafa and cartoonist Mohammed Saba'na.
5 journalists injured by rubber bullets and tear gas
A number of journalists were injured over the past month by rubber bullets while covering various events in the West Bank. On Monday February 11th 2013, Pal Media cameraman Amer Abdeen was wounded in his left leg while covering the demolition of a house in “Beit Awwa” village in Hebron, where clashes erupted between Israeli forces and the people of “Beit Awwa” after the demolition. Furthermore, the photographer of Raya Media network Samer Nazal was hit with two rubber bullets, the first hit his gas mask and broke the glass, and the second hit the lower part of his leg. Meanwhile a photo journalist named Shadi Hatem was also wounded by a rubber bullet in his back which caused him bruises. Both incidents occurred during their coverage of the clashes erupted near the Israeli Ofar prison near the city of Ramallah, on Friday February 15th 2013. And in Hebron Aljazeera English TV cameraman Joseph Handal was shoot from a close distant with a rubber bullet, which wounded his right knee, during his coverage of the clashes erupted between the IOF and Palestinians in the “Martyrs' Square” on Friday February 22nd 2013.
In addition, the Director of Photography at Pal Media Fadi Madi was hit in his lower abdomen by a tear gas canister while he was covering the clashes erupted in front of the Israeli Ofar prison, near the city of Ramallah, on Thursday February 21st 2013.
More attacks by the Occupation forces:
The IOF detained the 34 year old Palestinian cartoonist Mohammed Fayeq Saba'na, while on his way back from Jordan via the “Karamah” crossing on February 16th 2013. Saba’na is banned from any visits by a lawyer or his family since his arrest. The IOF also extended the administrative detention of Shehab Agency reporter Amer Abu Arafa for the fourth time in a row since his arrest on August 21st 2011; he should have been released when his detention was scheduled to end on February 19th 2013. In addition, the Pal Media cameraman Abed Alghani Al-natsha was detained for about 36 hours, during his coverage of the peaceful demonstrations in “Kana’an Village” in Hebron on Saturday February 9th 2013.
On Saturday February 2nd 2013, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) attacked a group of journalists and prevented them from covering the evacuation of “Al-nawateer Village”, which is formed by a group of activists on the territory of Burin village near Nablus city threatened with confiscation by the occupation.
The IOF also targeted a group of journalists who were covering the peaceful demonstrations in “Kana’an Village” in Hebron on Saturday February 9th 2013, they attacked, detained, and arrested the journalists at site and they are: Associated Press Agency photographer Nasser Al-shiokhi, French Agency photographer Hazem Bader, and two Reuters Agency photographers Ma’moun Wazooz and Yosri Al-jamal. The IOF attacked another group of journalists in Hebron on Friday February 22nd 2013 and they are: Reuters Agency photographer Yosri Al-jamal and European agency photographer Abd Al-hafeth Al-hashlamoon, and detained Wafa Agency Photographer Housam Abu A’lan, during their coverage of clashes erupted between young Palestinians and Israeli forces in the city center.
The IOF prevented three journalists from covering the IOF raiding of Aldoha town near Bethlehem on Tuesday February 19th 2013, and they are: Alquds TV correspondent Mamdouh Hamamra, Pal Media cameraman Samer Hamad, and Alquds Dot Com Cameraman Abdulrahman Younis.
Furthermore, members of Israeli Border Guards assaulted the European agency photographer A’la Badarnah and the French agency photographer Ja’far Ishtayah, during their coverage of Israeli settlers attack on the people of “Kosra” village in Nablus on February 23rd 2013.
Palestinian Violations:
In the West Bank on the morning of Friday February 1st 2013, a group of young people confiscated all copies of Bent Al-Balad Magazine in the city of Beit Sahur, disagreeing with an article critical of the Orthodox Scouts of Beit Sahur.
The Hamas Public Prosecutor summoned the vice chairman of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate Tahseen Al- Astal for investigation on Thursday February 28th 2013, based on a complaint filed by the Public Investigation services on charges of "defamation" in an article entitled "Police against the law". And on February 27th in the city of Rafah, the police prevented the Pal Today TV crew from filming and they were detained for about 30 minutes in the city.
Details of Violations:
(1/2) A group of young people confiscated all copies of Bent Al-Balad Magazine in the city of Beit Sahur, disagreeing with an article critical of the Orthodox Scouts of Beit Sahur, on the morning of Friday February 1st 2013. The chief of editing Fadi Abu Sa’da reported to MADA that this month issue was distributed around 9:30 on the morning of Friday, while a group of young scouts from the city withdraw all issues of the magazine, however, a vendor who noticed the withdrawal reported it immediately. Abu Sa’da added: “I made calls to several people who admitted to the withdrawal because of my article critical of the lack of participation of the Orthodox Scouts in religious ceremonies. We have managed to end the issue after the interference of the city elders, but were unable to return the copies of the magazine, and so we were forced to re-print 500 copies, which caused us a financial burden specially that the magazine is distributed for free every month”.
(2/2) The IOF attacked a group of journalists on Saturday February 2nd 2013, and prevented them from covering the evacuation of “Al-nawateer Village”, which is formed by a group of activists on the territory of Burin village near Nablus city threatened with confiscation by the occupation. According to Associated Press photographer Huda Al-Hodali the occupation forces were treating the journalists harshly, where one of them strongly pushed her resulting her fall to the ground, and they evicted all journalists from the region by force and prevented them from coverage. She added: “I fell on my back on a sharp rock and I couldn’t move then, until I got help from some colleagues. I suffered for two days from severe pain, and I thank god the injury was positioned near the spin and did not injure the nerve cord.” And another report by the Palestinian TV correspondent Haron A’mayra stated that the IOF pushed him several times to stop the filming, and pulled the voice cored several times, and then threatened them with arrest if they didn’t leave the site.
(9/2) The IOF targeted Palestinian journalists directly during their coverage of the peaceful demonstrations at "Kana’an village" in Hebron on Saturday February 9th 2013. The IOF attacked, detained, and arrested the journalists at site and they are: Associated Press Agency photographer Nasser Al-shiokhi, French Agency photographer Hazem Bader, and two Reuters Agency photographers Ma’moun Wazooz and Yosri Al-jamal. Al-shiokhi reported to MAD: “I headed with my colleagues to “Kana’an Village” to cover the demonstration, and that’s when a group of Occupation soldiers approached us and assaulted my colleagues Eyad Hamad and Hazem Bader, meanwhile they arrested me and forced me to sit handcuffed for 6 hours, and I was released once the event was over. Al Shiokhi added “The IOF targets us heavily in all events systematically; we demand a major international movement to protect us”.
The French agency photographer Hazem Bader reported to MADA that the Occupation soldiers approached and hit him on the forehead with a helmet, which caused him bruises. Bader added: “They didn’t stop there; instead they sprayed me with filthy water, and pushed my colleague from Reuters Yosri Al- Jamal and Ma’moun Wazooz while shouting at them”.
(9/2) The IOF arrested Pal Media cameraman Abed Alghani Al-natsha while covering peaceful demonstrations at "Kana’an village" in Hebron on Saturday, February 9th 2013. Al-natsha was detained for more than 24 hours, during which he was treated terribly. Al-natsha reported to MADA that he headed to cover the demonstrations in “Kana’an Village”, and at 10 am, a group of Occupation Forces approached him by surprise then dragged and arrested him. Once he was handcuffed, he was forced to sit until 12 pm. Then he was placed in a troop carrier for an hour in the heat. Al-natsha added: “around 3:30 pm I was taken, in addition to two international activists and three Palestinian activists, to the “Kiryat Arba” settlement area. There we stayed in the cold until 2 am of the next day, and then they took us to a military barracks and recorded our personal data and our fingerprints. Soon after we were taken to jail, stripped naked for search, then we were given prison uniforms to wear while awaiting our trial at Ofar Court around the midnight of Sunday”. The judge ruled a 4-month prison sentence for Al-natsha or a bail of 1,000 shekels (app. 270 $), he paid bail and was released. Al-natsha stressed that the treatment was very bad, whether by verbal harassment or leaving them in the cold and without food.
(11/2) The IOF attacked Pal Media cameraman Amer Abdeen during his coverage of a house demolition in Bait Awwa village in Hebron, where clashes erupted between Israeli forces and the people of “Beit Awwa” after the demolition. Abdeen reported to MADA that on Monday February 11th 2013 he headed to “Bait Awwa” to cover the demolition of a house there, and that’s when the Israeli soldiers shoot Rubber bullets, and he was hit in his left leg. Abdeen added: “it hit my legs muscle and caused my leg to swollen and some light bruises, and I was treated in the field."
(15/2) the IOF attacked the photographer of Raya Media network Samer Nazal and freelance photographer Shadi Hatem during their coverage of the clashes erupted near the Israeli Ofar prison near the city of Ramallah, on Friday February 15th 2013. Nazal reported that the IOF shoot rubber bullets at the journalists where he was hit in his face, but it bumped his gas mask and broke the glass, and he was hit with another rubber bullet in his leg which caused him bruises. Nazal added: “My colleague Shadi Hatem was also wounded by a rubber bullet in his back which caused him bruises”.
(16/2) The IOF detained the 34 year old Palestinian cartoonist Mohammed Fayeq Saba'na, while on his way back from Jordan via the “Karamah” crossing on February 16th 2013. The IOF transferred Saba’na to “Askalan” Prison on Monday 25th February 2013, and has not been allowed visits from lawyers nor family members since detained, and his administrative detention has been extended twice. His Brother Adel Saba’na reported to MADA that they have no information on his brother’s status, and he said, “We think he was detained for his cartoon drawings, he always traveled freely and never been detained”.
(19/2) The IOF prevented three journalists from covering the IOF raiding of Aldoha town near Bethlehem on Tuesday February 19th 2013. Alquds TV correspondent Mamdouh Hamamra told MADA, that him and his colleagues Pal Media cameraman Samer Hamad and Alquds Dot Com Cameraman Abdulrahman Younis went to cover the IOF raiding operation of Aldoha town, and once their cameras were turned on they were stopped from covering by the IOF, and they were checked for identifications and Press IDs. Hamamra also added, “They prevented us from continuing the coverage of the operation, and even erased any footage Abdulrahman managed to take”.
(21/2) The IOF extended the administrative detention of Shehab Agency reporter Amer Abu Arafa for the fourth time in a row since his arrest on August 21st 2011; he should have been released when his detention was scheduled to end on February 19th 2013. However, the Israeli Ofar prison court issued a warrant for the renewal of Amer Abu Arafa administrative detention without charges.
(21/2) The IOF attacked the Director of Photography at Pal Media Fadi Madi while he was covering the clashes erupted in front of the Israeli Ofar prison, near the city of Ramallah, on Thursday February 21st 2013. Madi reported to MADA that he was next to a group of journalists to cover the clashes, where they were standing away from the army and demonstrators, however, the occupation forces fired at them tear gas heavily and was injured in his lower abdomen. Madi added: “The gas canister caused me cuts and bruises and I was transferred to the Ramallah Hospital where I received proper treatment”.
(22/2) The IOF attacked Reuters Agency photographer Yosri Al-jamal and European agency photographer Abd Al-hafeth Al-hashlamoon, and detained Wafa Agency Photographer Housam Abu A’lan, during their coverage of clashes erupted between young Palestinians and Israeli forces in the city center of Hebron, on Friday February 22nd 2013. Al-jamal reported to MADA that the Israeli forces shoot rubber bullets in his direction during his coverage of the clashes; one injured his right leg which swollen and caused a lot of pain. Al-jamal added: “I was hit from a close distance that’s why the injury was severe, and I wasn’t able to walk for two days. Al-hashlamoon was injured by a rubber bullet in his leg as well, and Abu A’lan was detained for some time then released”.
(22/2) The IOF attacked Aljazeera English TV cameraman Joseph Handal during his coverage of the clashes erupted between the IOF and Palestinians in the “Martyrs' Square” in Hebron, on Friday February 22nd 2013. Handal’s father reported to MADA that his son was hit with a rubber bullet in his right knee from a very close distance, Which led to severe pain and bruising in the cartilage. The father added: “he received treatment in Hebron’s hospital and then he was transferred to Arab Care Hospital in Ramallah. His injury was severe and he was unable to walk for a week”.
(23/2) Members of Israeli Border Guards assaulted the European agency photographer A’la Badarnah and the French agency photographer Ja’far Ishtayah, during their coverage of Israeli settlers attack on the people of Kosra village in Nablus. Ishtayah reported to MADA that he and his colleague Badarnah went to cover settler violence against the people of Kosra village, and while there they were approached by members of the Israeli border guards whom violently pushed them to fall on the ground twice. Ishtayah added: “They were very violent with us and they threaten to beat us with sticks and detention if we continued the coverage”.
(27/2) Hamas police in Gaza prevented the Pal Today TV crew from filming in Rafah near the tunnels, and they were detained for about 30 minutes at the police station, on Wednesday February 27th 2013. Pal Today TV correspondent Akram Aldaloul reported to MADA that they were preparing a report on the tunnels, but they were prevented from filming, despite the fact that they communicated with the crossings and tunnel organization who assured them that they do not need a permit to film in the region. Aldaloul added that they waited for 3:30 hours waiting for permission with no luck, so they stepped away resumed filming from afar, yet they were approached by policemen who detained them and transferred them to the police station. Aldaloul added: “They insisted to take us down the station, and they confiscated the camera and erased everything we filmed, and we were released only after the intervention of the TV management in the Lebanon”.
(28/2) The Hamas Public Prosecutor summoned the vice chairman of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate Tahseen Al- Astal for investigation on Thursday February 28th 2013 in Gaza. Al-Astal reported to MADA that he was called in based on a complaint filed by the Public Investigation services on charges of "defamation" in an article he wrote entitled "Police against the law". Al-Astal added that the investigation lasted between 11am and 1:30 in the afternoon, and he denied the charges against him “I paid bail to be released, and I don’t know if the case will be closed or not”.
