Ramallah / PNN /
January 2023 has witnessed a rise in the number of violations committed against media freedom in Palestine. During January, MADA documented a total of 59 violations, 44 of which were committed by the occupation authorities while 8 were committed by various Palestinian authorities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and 7 were committed by social media companies.
This rise represents 28 points, or (203%), compared to what was documented during the previous month (December 2022), which witnessed 29 violations, including 20 committed by the Israeli occupation forces, 6 violations committed by social media, and 3 violations committed by Palestinian authorities.
Israeli Violations:
The number of Israeli violations increased from 20 violations in December to 44 violations in January 2023, and the percentage of Israeli violations constituted 75% of all violations committed during the month.
The most prominent of these violations was the injury of NIDAL ISHTAYYEH, “SIPA USA” Agency cameraman, with a 5-centimeter fragment in the thigh, and the injury of- “Blossom” Company Director with a live bullet in the right leg muscle, in addition to the injury of the journalist LAITH JAAR who was wounded by a rubber bullet in his left hand.
Furthermore, the Occupation Forces arrested “J-Media” Agency Cameraman, ABDULMOHSEN SHALALDAH, for four days, and detained two other journalists at “Deir Sharaf” Barrier. This is in addition to preventing Al-Jazeera Live reporter from broadcasting live by the Occupation soldiers, detaining B'tselem volunteer for two hours at “Beit Ummar” entrance in Hebron, and preventing the freelance cameraman IBRAHIM ALSINJLAWI to cover the storming of “BEN-GVIR” to Al-Aqsa Mosque claiming he did not hold the Israeli Government Media Office Card.
During the past month, 15 violations of coverage ban-steered targeting were documented, including targeting a group of journalists with tear gas canisters which resulted in their suffocation in the eastern area of Nablus, in addition to targeting another group with rubber bullets to prevent them from covering the settlers’ incursion to “Awarta”, Nablus, as one of the bullets hit and broke LAITH JAAR camera light and the same group was detained until the end of the incursions.
The occupation forces targeted four journalists with live bullets to prevent them from covering the clashes taking place in Jenin Camp, one bullet fell near the feet of Roya TV reporter and another near “J-Media” Agency cameraman LAITH JAAR.
The occupation police also prevented four journalists and a media crew from covering the incidents in “Silwan”, to the south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as two other journalists to cover the citizens’ rally in “Beit Hanina” protesting against the closure imposed on them.
Likewise, one of the settlers, near Howarah, Nablus, tries to run over Quds News Network reporter, ABDALLAH BAHSH.
Social Media Violations:
The number of violations committed by social media networks increased up to 7 violations documented during January 2023, constituting 12% of the total number of violations, whereas December 2022 did not witness such violations.
These violations included the closure of the Raya FM Radio Facebook Page for two days without prior notice or apparent reason, in addition to the closure of the Asharq News Page for three weeks for covering news in Jerusalem.
Furthermore, Facebook has restricted the accounts of five journalists and editors who work as directors of the Quds News Network Page against the backdrop of incitement against it.
Palestinian Violations:
The number of violations committed by various Palestinian authorities increased in January 2023 to 8 violations, constituting 14% of all violations, broken down as (7 in the West Bank and 1 in Gaza Strip), compared to 3 violations documented in the preceding month, December 2022.
The Palestinian Intelligence Service summoned both Al-Jazeera Live cameraman MOHAMMED TURKMAN, and its reporter journalist MOHAMMED SUMRAIN, for questioning. Furthermore, the National Security members prevented the cameraman TURKMAN from covering the peaceful march at the Martyrs Square and seized his equipment.
Palestinian authorities incited against the journalist MOHAMMED AL-ATRASH on the grounds of participating in preparing an episode of "The Hidden is More Immense", as well as systematically incited against "Quds News Network" accusing it of treason and espionage to delete its posts on Facebook.
In addition to the aforementioned, Al-Hayat Al-Jadeed Newspaper dismissed the cartoonist MOHAMMED SABA’NAH from his work after he published a caricature criticizing the Palestinian President. The MOI Institutional Investigations in Gaza Strip prevented the Filastiniyat organization from holding a dialogue workshop to discuss a press investigation.
