Report:13 violations against Palestinian journalists in March
Wafa: The violations are part of a wider policy
Jerusalem24 – The Palestinian News and Information Agency, “Wafa”, today, Thursday, reported that the Israeli occupation forces continue to target and pursue journalists as part of a targeted policy.
In its monthly report, Wafa stated that there were 13 Israeli violations against journalists during the month of March.
Wafa explained that the number of journalists injured during the past month, as a result of the firing of rubber coated steel bullets, tear gas canisters, physical assaults, in addition to other attacks, amounting to 5 wounded. As for the number of cases of arrest, detention, withdrawal of press cards, and shootings that did not result in injuries they numbered 7 cases, and one case was recorded, which included damaging press equipment.
“Wafa” stated that on 3-3-2021, a group of Israeli extremists attacked and insulted the Turkish “Anadolu Agency” team, which included correspondent Fayez Abu Rumaila and photographer Mustafa Kharrouf, and proceeded to smash the agency’s car, while they were in the “Meieh Shaarim” neighborhood, in the city of Jerusalem working on press coverage.
On 7-3-2021, the Israeli Military Tribune renewed the administrative detention for the second time against the journalist and activist Bushra Jamal Al-Tawil (28 years) for a period of (4 months) on the eve of the celebration of International Women’s Day. On November 19, 2020, the Israeli authorities issued a decision to administratively detain the journalist and the prisoner’s rights activist Bushra al-Tawil for a period of 4 months.
On March 12, 2021, the Israeli forces detained the photographer, Mutassim Saqf Al-Hitt, for three hours, while he was passing through a military checkpoint at the intersection of the villages of Beit Dajan and Beit Furik, East of Nablus.
On 3/16/2021, the Israeli Military Court issued a ruling against the journalist Tamer Barghouti from the town of Kober in Ramallah, to 10 months in prison, in addition to a fine of 2000 shekels. The journalist, Barghouti, was arrested on December 10, 2020, while covering an event in front of the gate of “Ofer” prison. His trial was postponed six times, until yesterday, Wednesday, he was sentenced to ten months in prison.
On 3/22/2021, the Israeli forces detained a group of journalists in the Al-Ain Al-Bayda area in Yatta, South of Hebron. The journalists are Jihad Al-Qawasmi, Areen Al-Amleh, and Iyad Al-Hashlamoun. Meanwhile, Israeli intelligence summoned the Jerusalemite photographer, Muhammad Karout Idkidak, for investigation.
On March 26, 2021, the journalist “Raja Jaber” was injured by a rubber coated steel bullet fired at her by Israeli soldiers while she was covering the weekly anti-settlement march in the town of Beit Dajan, East of Nablus. A number of journalists suffocated as the soldiers fired tear gas canisters at them.
