Ramallah - 28/5/2014: Yesterday night, Israeli occupation forces invaded Al-Ayyam media outlet's headquarters in Ramallah, West Bank, and ordered the cessation of the printing of the Gaza “Felesteen” daily newspaper.

The financial and administrative director of "Felesteen", Haitham Al-Sak, stated that eight armored vehicles encircled Al-Ayyam offices on Tuesday night without confiscating copies or vandalizing premises. Al-Sak explained that on 10th May 2014 Al-Ayyam had received an oral warning from the Occupation forces urging to halt instantly the printing of the newspaper, but Al-Ayyam’s administration refused, objecting that it received instructions only from the concerned Palestinian ministries according to the Palestinian law, and not from forces of occupation. Al-Ayyam therefore continued the printing and distribution of the newspaper.

According to Al-Sak, “Felesteen” has a good distribution rate in the West Bank compared to other daily newspapers and taking into account that the newspaper had been prevented from being distributed for the last seven years because of the Palestinian division. It is distributed by 100 points of sale throughout the West Bank.

An Israeli army officer informed Al-Ayyam’s direction that the order was motivated by the incitements against Israel presumably contained in three Gaza newspapers distributed by the outlet, i.e. “Felesteen”, “Al-Resala” and “Al-Estiklal”. The printing of these newspapers in the West Bank had resumed a few weeks ago in the framework of a new national reconciliation agreement between Hamas and Fatah allowing West Bank newspapers to be issued in the Gaza Strip and vice versa.

The Israeli occupation authorities threatened Al-Ayyam that it would take strict measures to prevent the printing of these newspapers.

In a press release, Al-Ayyam lamented this occupational behavior in the area under the government of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), which constitutes a violation of previous agreements, an assault on the sovereignty of the PNA, and an attack on media freedoms.

In addition, the Israeli occupation forces committed another assault on media freedoms by closing the roads leading to the city of Hebron because of the holding of cycling rally organized by Israeli settlers between the settlements of Keryat Arba and Goush Atsion, thus impeding the arrival of a media tour organized by the Ministry of Media to the villages of Beit Omar and Al-Zahrya. Nida Younes, manager of the Journalism Office at the Ministry of Media, told MADA that the tour bus used another bypass road, from Beit Fajar and Al-Aroob refugee camp, but it was also closed. After eventually reaching Beit Ommar, and in particular the land of Ibrahim Ibregeeth, which was restored to him after 12 years of struggle in the Occupation’s courts, the Israeli army got near the media delegation and prevented the bus from parking in front of the land under the pretext that it was considered settlement land. Younes added that the organizers decided to leave the place to ensure the safety of the nearly 45 journalists from various local and Arab media outlets, and also because the Israeli forces had threatened the bus driver with a fine if he parked the bus.”

MADA condemns both violations of media freedoms by the Occupation forces: raiding the office of Al-Ayyam and threatening it not to print and distribute in the West Bank newspapers produced in Gaza; and preventing a large group of journalists from reaching Beit Ommar and Al-Thahria to shed light on the Israeli practices in these villages. MADA calls on the international community to put pressure on the Israeli Occupation authorities so that they end their violations of Palestinian media freedoms.