A bitter reality. A nation under two forces of pressure: occupation’s repression and a repressive Palestinian authority, both violating freedom of expression, press and media freedoms, and both persecute journalists and bloggers.

Throughout 2018, Palestine witnessed numerous violations against freedom of expression, journalists, media workers, and photojournalists.

The situation is miserable, as the occupation wants to silence those who uncover its crimes to the extent of targeting TV channels in Gaza Strip with air strikes.

Not to mention blocking social media and accounts of the resistance movements and its news networks, under allegations of “inciting against Israel”.

The following are examples of violations

Violations against Press and Journalists

• On the 8th of January, Adel Abo Neama, a photojournalist for Reuters, was injured after being beaten by an Israeli soldier on the head, which led to a concussion. He was transferred to hospital.

The assault took place while the journalist was covering clashes broke up between Palestinians and occupation forces in a Palestinian city.

The same reporter underwent another assault on 23rd February 2018, as he was targeted by a teargas bomb in the occupied territories of Jerusalem while covering Palestinian demonstrations protesting Israeli storming into Al Aqsa mosque.

• On 23rd January, occupation forces detained Mohamed Abdul Qader, a reporter in Palestinian TV, and all the crew accompanied him while covering the dredging Palestinian lands in Kafr al Dik.
• On the same day, occupation forces confiscated Palestine TV channel equipment and detained its crew for 6 hours after trying to video record the dredging operation. They were released after corresponding with a Palestinian officer.
• On 15 February 2018,  occupation forces raided Abul Mohsen’s Taysir Shelalda’s house, a journalist, searching the house, laptops, mobile phones, then he was arrested.

The journalist was detained for three days, during which he was interrogated on the background of his work as a reporter for “Al Qods.Net”. His journalist colleagues escalated their protests in order to release him, he was released then.

In June 2018, Shelalda was arrested and referred to court in accordance with cybercrimes law. He was acquitted on 20th November 2018.

• On 4th April 2018, the Palestinian Preventive Security interrogated journalist Mostafa Ali Sabri, Al Qods newspaper reporter in Qalqilya after detaining him for hours and confiscating his ID and mobile phone.

The investigation included questions about his work, income sources, sources for spendings on his children’s education in university, claiming that they are illegal sources, but the journalist denied all accusations during the investigation.

Twelve hours later, the journalist threatened to go into a hunger strike, rejecting being medically checked inside the authority headquarter. Finally, he was released.

Later on, he was summoned 4 times for investigations, he was released each time.

On the 13th of April 2018, an Israeli sniper shot and killed Yasser Abdul Rahman Mortaji, a photojournalist and founder of Ain Media company.

Mortaji was shot in the stomach by an Israeli sniper while covering the Return March, (Koshok Friday), started from Gaza, to assert the Palestinian right of return.

• On the 27th of April, during the 5th march of return (it took place each Friday after prayers) around 14 Palestinians were injured by the occupation forces bullets, some of the cases were critical.

Abdul Rahman Hani Al Kahlout, among the injured, as he was covering the march and received a bullet in his foot. Also, Lina Shahin, director of Al Mayadeen channel bureau, as she received a rubber bullet in her right hand.

Moreover, a number of journalists and photojournalists suffered suffocation caused by teargas.

• Palestinian Preventive Security, on 3rd June, accused Abdul Mohsen for his work in Qods network and some facebook posts criticizing the Palestinian Authority and demanding to lift the blockade of Gaza Strip.
• Palestinian police arrested journalist Gehad Barakat in July 2017, accusing him of “taking photos of the Palestinian PM’s escort near Ennabi Israeli checkpoint”. Later he was acquitted by the court.
• On 15th August, Israeli Armed Forces spokesman announced the arrest of journalist Ali Dar Ali, a Palestinian TV reporter in Ramallah, under claims of publishing inciting content against the occupation on his Facebook account.

Dar Ali was arrested after raiding his house by the occupation forces, searching it and confiscating his equipment.

The next day, the Israeli military court decided to expand Dar’s imprisonment. His imprisonment continued until the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate denounced targeting journalists and media workers. On 12th September the court released him.

• On 30th September 2018, Ramallah Court rejected the prosecution’s opposition and supported the journalist’s acquittal.
• Palestinian Authority continued its violations as journalism “Amer Abo Arafa” received, on 7th October 2018, a summon to appear before the Palestinian intelligence. When he responded to the summon he found that there is an arrest administrative decision against him.

He was detained for more than 24 hours, in which he was interrogated about his work as a reporter for Shehab agency in Gaza strip.

He was also interrogated about Facebook posts, asking him to log in his account, yet the journalist rejected the request.

Next night, the investigator released him after threatening him with surveillance.

• On 12th November 2018, Israeli aircrafts stroke Al Aqsa channel headquarter in Gaza with 6 rockets, totally destroying it.

This raid coincides with a wide-scale military campaign targeting Gaza Strip killing two Palestinian. Coincidentally, the raid took place after evacuating the headquarter, which saved workers in the channel.

The Occupation and Facebook suppressing activists

The year 2018 witnessed continuous persecution practiced by Facebook administration against Palestinian content, as the administration blocked dozens of Palestinian pages connected to press, politics, and resistance.

• On 20th February, Facebook committed violations against dozens of Palestinian pages and accounts.

“Palestine 27″, a page dedicated for the Palestinian cause and history, Nawras Network page, Eshraqat page, Al Jarar Family page, Al Fajr Al Jadid TV page, Al Daffa al Ekhbaria, Daimous page, Mesh Heik (sarcastic page), and Al Sa3a al Thamena page, all were totally blocked by Facebook administration.

Facebook administration had signed a memorandum of understanding to pursuit pages “inciting against Israel”.

While some pages were restored, yet others are still blocked, so other pages emerged.

• On 5th March 2018, Palestinian journalists demonstrated before the UN headquarters in Gaza Strip, carrying banners denouncing facebook blocking Palestinian accounts and pages of agencies they work for.
• Occupation forces arrested, on 13th June 2018, activist and blogger Shehab Mezhar, after storming into his house in Al Deheasha camp in the West Bank, beating and dragging him.

Mezhar was transferred to hospital after being critically injured in head and foot. The next day, the Israeli military court sentenced him to 6 months without uncovering accusations directed against him, claiming that the case file is confidential.

On 3rd December, the military court decided to expand his detention for more 6 months.

Mezhar is one of the social activists in the West Bank, he also politically opposes the occupation and participated in numerous marches and events supporting detainees.

• On 16th October, Israeli police banned a cultural seminar organized by “Jerusalem Intellectuals Forum”, in the occupied territories of Jerusalem, on the memorial of Hosni Al Ashehab, a Palestinian writer and intellectual.

The occupation summoned Palestinian writer and lawyer, Talal Abo Afifa, to be interrogated, as he was accused of holding a cultural seminar funded by the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah.

Yet, the interrogation did not take place, instead, they hand over official papers banning him from holding an event in Jerusalem or any other city under the Israeli occupation.

Violations against collective freedom of expression (demonstrations)

• Since 30 March 2018, the Palestinian Land Day, and till 30 October, the Israeli occupation targeted peaceful demonstrators who marched in the event of “Return Marches”.

Return Marches launched to remind the world of the Palestinian suffering, as they were expelled, their lands were confiscated in order to build settlements.

• On 3rd July 2018, 3 Palestinian young women were shot while participating in “Palestinian Women for Return” march.

The march moved forward toward Gaza Strip borders, eastern al Zaytoun neighborhood, at this point the Israeli forces started to shoot demonstrators.

The women were critically injured and were transferred to   Al Shefaa hospital inside Gaza Strip for treatment.