MADA: IOF forces continue attacking journalists in Palestine

The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) monitored numerous attacks by the Israeli Occupation Forces "IOF" on Media Freedoms during December 2013 in Palestine, included assaulting and detaining journalists. The most notable and dangerous attack was a head injury of Alshera TV cameraman Ahmed Qadura in Tulkarem city.December also witnessed a notable decline in the number of violations committed by Palestinian, and MADA monitored two violations in the West Bank and one in Gaza Strip.MADA condemns all violations against Palestinian journalists, and stresses on the need to end the attacks and to hold the aggressors accountable, especially the IOF, for its continued violations, stressing that the IOF attacks pose a threat on journalists lives.The Israeli Occupation violations:The Israeli Occupation Forces IOF detained a large group of journalists and media students during their return from a media tour of the northern Jordan Valley and Nablus to Ramallah city. They were released after about an hour and a half of standing in the cold and under the rain on Wednesday 4th December 2013.The IOF also detained Palestine Public TV crew (Yara Alfares/ Correspondent, Salah Alhindi/ Cameraman, Iyad Albargouthi/ Driver) while they were at Ein Yabrood Village east of Ramallah city, and after an interview with the head of the village council about village land confiscation in the village, on Tuesday 10th December 2013. On Thursday 19th December 2013, the Israeli border guards detained the Anatolia Agency photographer Moath Meshaal and Raya FM Radio photographer Samer Nazal at Za'atara checkpoint between Ramallah and Nablus.In the context of physical attacks by the IOF, Palestine TV crew (reporter/ Ali Dar Ali, and cameraman/ Fadi Jayyousi) suffered a severe suffocation after the IOF targeted them directly with gas grenades while they were covering the weekly peaceful demonstration in Bil'in village west of Ramallah on Friday 6th December 2013. The Israeli police attacked the Yediot Ahronoth newspaper photographer Atta E'oissat (43 years), while covering clashes between Palestinians and settlers who repeatedly invaded Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem city, on Friday 6th December 2013. A week later he was charged with assault on a police officer and he was prevented from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque for two weeks.The IOF threw a sound bomb on Alshera TV cameraman Ahmad Qadurah (22 years), while covering the occupation forces raiding of Al-moqata (Palestinian Authority Headquarters) in the city of Tulkarem, wounding his head and needed four stitches, on Tuesday 17th December 2013. The IOF also assaulted Anatolia Agency photographer Moaath Meshaal and the French Agency photographer Abbas Momani while covering the weekly peaceful march in the village of Nabi Saleh south west of Ramallah city. on Friday 27th December 2013.The Palestinian Violations:The Palestinian intelligence service in the city of Salfit north of West Bank summoned columnist Khaled Ma'ali to their headquarters on Saturday 21st December 2013, where he was interrogated about his journalistic work and the articles he writes. In Nablus city, a person pointed a weapon at the office manager of "Nada for press and media" Hamdi Abu Dheer (27 years), after a verbal altercation that occurred between them during the presence of Abu Dheer in the governorate office in order to cover a conference on sick prisoners, on Thursday 26th December 2013.The internal security of Hamas government in Gaza city prevented a meeting called by the journalists' Syndicate with the official media sector employees, (Wafa News Agency, Palestine Public TV, and Al Haya Al Jadeda newspaper) in order to discuss the last government in Ramallah decision to cut bonuses and transportation compensation for government staff in Gaza, on Sunday 29th December 2013.