Ramallah/ PNN /

June has witnessed a slight decrease in the number of violations against media freedoms in Palestine, compared to the preceding month of May.

The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms “MADA” documented a total of 36 attacks against media freedoms in the West Bank during June, 35 of which were committed by the Israeli occupation, while Palestinian authorities in the West Bank committed one violation, and no violations were documented to have been committed by social media, knowing that the preceding month May witnessed 41 violations, 37 of which were committed by the occupation forces.

Israeli Violations:

During June, the occupation authorities and settlers committed a total of 35 attacks against media freedoms in the West Bank, representing 97% of all documented violations.

As usual, most of the violations were serious (physical attacks) against the lives of journalists, the most serious of which was the injury of journalist MOMEN SAMREEN with a rubber bullet to the head during the storming of the city of Ramallah, which caused him a brain concussion, a skull fracture, and subcutaneous hemorrhage, which necessitated keeping him in the emergency room for a period of two days, and about 9 days in the intensive care unit. On the same day, the cameraman, RABIH AL-MUNIR, was slightly wounded by a bullet in the abdomen.

This is in addition to the injury of the journalist, BILAL AL-TAMIMI, with a rubber bullet in the arm while covering the raid on the village of "Um Safa" north of Ramallah. Furthermore, one of the settlements also assaulted the cameraman, MUTASIM SAQF AL-HAIT, and stepped on his phone on the same day and in a separate event. Associated Press cameraman, IHAB AL-ALLAMI, was wounded by a rubber bullet in the back, in addition to suffocating from inhaling gas.

On the other hand, the cameraman, ISHAQ AL-KASBEH, was attacked with stones by settlers, and his car was smashed while he was returning from Mikhmas Area to the city of Ramallah. The settlers also attacked with stones the cameraman of Palmomenta Media Production Company, causing partial damage to his car, in addition to verbal assaults by the settlers against "Al-Ghad TV" crew while covering the clashes near "Eli" settlement.

The occupation forces targeted 11 journalists to prevent them from covering the various events, including those who were targeted more than once, and they are Palestine TV crew (the reporter VALENTINA ABU HAMED and the cameraman MOHAMMAD RADI). They were targeted by settlers, and their camera was partially broken while covering the events in Umm Safa village. The TV crew was targeted once again (including the reporter BAKR ABDEL-HAQ and the cameraman ABDULLAH SABRA) in the village of "Urif" and their camera was destroyed. Furthermore, Roya TV crew was targeted twice during June, the first time a bullet hit the crew’s vehicle door during coverage in the city of Jenin in the morning, and the second time while they were on the roof of a building with TRT crew and J-media crew.

The freelance cameraman, MOHAMMAD AWAD, was targeted with a rubber bullet during the storming of the city of Ramallah, and the cameramen, MOHAMMAD TURKMAN and YOUSEF SHEHADEH, were subjected to tear gas canisters being fired by the occupation forces in the village of "Umm Safa".

The occupation forces prevented 5 journalists from covering various events, namely (IBRAHIM AL-SINJLAWI in Jerusalem, Arab TV cameraman FADI AL-ASA, journalist MAHMOUD AL-KHALLAF, Wafa Agency cameraman ODAY DAIBES, Reuters cameraman RANEEN SAWAFTA) in Jenin.

The occupation forces also arrested the journalist of "Sanad News" Agency, MOHAMMAD MUNA, after storming his house in the town of "Zawata" in the city of Nablus, and sentenced him administratively to six months, and detained the journalist, OBADA TAHAINA, near the settlement of "Arael" for three hours.

Palestinian Violations:

The Palestinian violations were limited to a single violation that took place in the West Bank, where the Palestinian Intelligence Service summoned the freelance journalist MUJAHID MARDAWI for interrogation at the headquarters in Qalqilya, and interrogated him for three hours. Another interview was scheduled on the 5th July.