Key facts
- The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate documented 108 attacks against Palestinian journalists and media workers in July.
- Violations included detentions, beatings, interrogations, and obstruction of work.
- Journalists were targeted with stun grenades and tear gas, and faced settler violence.
- Equipment was seized and destroyed, and video footage was deleted in some instances.
- 58 cases of brief detentions and restrictions on reporting were the most frequent violations.
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate has documented a total of 108 attacks perpetrated by Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian journalists and media workers during July. These documented violations encompass a range of aggressive actions, including detentions, physical assaults, interrogations, and the use of stun grenades and tear gas against media personnel.
Further details from the Syndicate's Freedoms Committee reveal that brief detentions and restrictions on reporting were the most prevalent issues, with 58 such cases recorded. The committee also noted 11 instances of attacks by settlers, which included physical assaults and attempts to impede journalists' work, particularly when covering events in the West Bank. Additionally, 12 cases involved Israeli forces targeting journalists with stun grenades and tear gas, leading to suffocation in some instances.
Physical assaults were documented in six cases, and four journalists sustained injuries, including bleeding from shrapnel, while covering developments in the Gaza Strip. The Syndicate also reported the detention of two journalists and the interrogation of four others in connection with their professional duties. Raids on homes and media institutions, some involving searches and tampering with contents, occurred in four cases, alongside the closure and seizure of a media institution. Three instances of journalistic equipment being seized or destroyed were recorded, and video footage was deleted in two cases. Two journalists were also expelled from Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Syndicate emphasized that these attacks represent a multifaceted pattern of violations aimed at hindering journalists' ability to report on ongoing human rights violations and events. They called for enhanced protection for journalists, the upholding of press freedom, and accountability for those responsible for the attacks.