The Palestinian News and Information Agency (WAFA) has documented 23 violations by the Israeli occupation forces against journalists in the Palestinian territories during November 2019.
In its monthly report on Israeli violations against journalists published today, WAFA said 16 journalists were injured from rubber-coated metal bullets, live bullets and tear gas canisters fired by Israeli soldiers as well as from severe beatings. At the same time, 10 journalists were detained by the forces.
On November 01, Israeli forces shot freelance journalist Abdul-Rahman Khatib with a rubber-coated round in his right arm and injured him, while covering the events of March of Return protests east of the Gaza Strip.
On November 11, Israeli forces physically assaulted and beat up Associated Press photographer Majdi Shtayyeh while he was passing through Za’tara checkpoint, south of Nablus. He was briefly detained by the soldiers and released a few hours later.
On November 11, an Israeli sniper shot journalist Muath Amarneh, a photographer with J-media, in his left eye causing him to lose sight completely. Amarneh was covering Israeli forces’ human rights violations in the West Bank town of Surif.
On November 17, nine journalists were injured and many others arrested as Israeli forces attacked them while they were holding a protest in solidarity with journalist Amarneh, who had lost his left eye by an Israeli sniper’s shot.
On November 20, Israeli police broke into Palestine TV office in occupied Jerusalem and handed staff an Israeli Minister of Home Security Gilad Erdan ordering closure of the office for six months.
On November 26, journalists Ramez Awwad and Abdul-Majid Adwan were injured by Israeli forces while covering protests against the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s decision on Israeli settlements, near the West Bank city of Tulkarm.
WAFA said the daily Israeli attacks against journalists in the West Bank are part of a policy to their activity and their role in covering the practices and violations committed by these forces against Palestinian civilians and property.