The Journalist Support Committee monitored (129) violations of media freedoms against journalists in the Palestinian territories, represented by arrest, targeting with bullets, direct field assault, prevention of coverage and travel ban, in addition to other forms of targeting journalists and media professionals in the field and inside the occupation prisons.

According to the committee’s report, the month of August 2023 witnessed more than (75) Israeli violations against media professionals, which come within the framework of the occupation forces’ attempt to obscure the bright truth of their crimes and terror that they practice against the Palestinians. The report also records (33) violations by internal Palestinian parties. In the West Bank, and on combating Palestinian content, the report recorded (21) cases of violations by social media.

Israeli violations

The report documented, during the month of August 2023, the injury and targeting of (22) journalists, by the occupation forces and settlers, during their coverage of the occupation’s storming of Palestinian cities, and the demolition of the occupation’s bulldozers of Palestinian homes in occupied Jerusalem and the occupied interior, and during their coverage of marches and events in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, where the occupation used bullets. rubber bands and poison gas bombs to prevent journalists from covering and attending the event. It is reported that among them was the injury of a journalist from the Gaza Strip.

The report also documented the arrest, detention and summoning of (10) journalists by the Israeli occupation forces, namely Ahmed Jalajel, Najwa Adnan, Ahmed Al-Safadi - twice arrested and summoned -, Muhammad Nazzal, Khaled Bedir and Shadi Jaraa, Sari Jaradat, Ibrahim Sinjlawi, and Youssef Sharawna.

Concerning issuing judgments and postponing trials, the report recorded (4) cases, after the occupation court postponed the trial of journalist Ramzi Abbasi at the beginning of the month, then issued a detention order against him for a year and an additional day, keeping him in detention, as well as issuing a 24-month de facto detention sentence against journalist Ibrahim Abu Safiya. Except for the decision to refuse to release the sick writer Walid Daqqa and keep him under arrest.

In addition, the occupation forces, in partnership with the settlers, prevented more than (28) cases of coverage, obstructing the performance of their duties and their coverage of marches and events in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which show the violations of the Israeli occupation and prevented them from working, including live bullets, gas bombs, insults, and profanity.

In addition, the report recorded (2) cases of travel ban for journalists Muhammad Nazzal and Alaa Al-Rimawi, and it also issued a decision to deport (1) the journalist Ahmed Al-Safadi from Al-Aqsa Mosque for a period of one month, and imposed a fine of (2) on the journalists Ahmed Al-Safadi at a value of 5000 shekels. And Ibrahim Abu Safiya, with a value of 2000 shekels.

Concerning the break-in and destruction, the report records the case of (1) break-in into the house of journalist Diala Jweihan, and (1) break-in of her home furniture under the pretext of inspection.

The report also records (4) cases of harassment and torture in the occupation prisons against the prisoner, writer Walid Daqqa, depriving him of treatment, medical neglect, and refusing to release him. The occupation also prevented journalist Ramzi Abbasi from appearing before his trial and postponed his court before the issuance of his arrest decision, and the court judge refused him to embrace his daughter, as well. The practice of humiliating searches against journalists Khaled Badir and photographer Shadi Jararaa during their arrest and interrogation as part of the policy of body searches, and they were searched for the second time on the same day. before releasing them.

Social media violations

With regard to combating Palestinian content, activist journalists and their media sites were subjected to an attack on digital media through the applications of “WhatsApp”, “Tik Tok”, “Facebook”, “Instagram” and other social networking sites, after they closed and restricted accounts and banned the administrations of social networking sites. Conspiring with the Israeli occupation, more than (6) cases of accounts of journalists and media sites on Tik Tok were known, including the "Sama Al-Quds" website, the journalist Muhammad Samreen, the journalist Abdullah Bahash and others.

Dozens of journalists were also targeted on the “WhatsApp” platform under the pretext of publishing anything that violates the publishing instructions. Twelve of them were known as: Hammam Al-Hattab, correspondent of “Unews” agency, Ibrahim Qanan from “Al-Ghad Al-Arabi” TV, Ibrahim Musallam, Youth Media Center, journalist Samir Al-Naffar, Muhammad Abu Qamar, director of Safa Agency, journalist Muthanna Al-Najjar from Al-Quds Radio, Ahmed Abu Hashem from “Al-Quds Al-Youm”, Rabah Marzouk from “Prisoners’ Radio”, Ahmed Al-Shaqaqi Al-Istiqlal Newspaper, Ahmed Ghanem Al-Mayadeen TV, and journalist Ahmed Samhood works as a reporter for Al-Istiqlal TV. Jerusalem, and others.

Facebook also closed a number of accounts of journalists and media websites, including (2), namely, the page of journalist Abdel Raouf Al-Shanti from the Israeli Occupation Crimes Documentation Authority, the page of “Alam” Radio, and the accounts of the workers on the page, in the framework of combating Palestinian content, and Instagram was also deleted. Number (1) against the "Palestine 27" website without prior notice under the pretext of violating the standards.

Internal Palestinian attacks

Concerning internal attacks against journalists, the committee recorded (33) cases during the past August in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

In the West Bank, 15 cases were recorded in which the Palestinian security services and members of the Fatah movement assaulted journalists while they were covering some events in Jenin, Nablus and Hebron. Six journalists were injured during the assault, beating and spraying them with pepper gas, and preventing (5) from covering and obstructing their duties. And (1) cameras were confiscated, and (2) journalists were summoned, in addition to (1) the house of writer Lama Khater being raided.

In the Gaza Strip, 18 cases were recorded when the security services summoned (3) journalists, assaulted (5) others, and obstructed the work of (6) while they were covering the We Want to Live movement, in addition to an unknown threat to (3) journalists not to practice any journalistic work. About the "We Want to Live" movement in Gaza", and phone number (1) was seized and searched before returning it.