Violence against Palestinian journalists

The period of the Second Intifada between 2000 and 2005 put Palestinian journalists and camera operators at heightened risks, including military closures, confiscation of equipment, prevention from reporting on certain incidents and locations, curfews, and arrests. The Committee to Protect Journalists documented that nine Palestinian journalists were killed by the Israeli military between 2000 and 2009, some of them were described as targeted attacks, which Israel denies.{{sfn|Stein|2021|p=50}} The killing of Palestinian-American journalist and Al Jazeera reporter by the Israeli military, Shireen Abu Akleh, in 2022 gained widespread coverage globally; she is widely considered an icon of Palestinian journalism.{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/shireen-abu-akleh-journalist-al-jazaeera-0967d45e7b480a8e7441de0ee4555d52|title=Slain Al Jazeera journalist was icon of Palestinian coverage|work=AP|date=12 May 2022|accessdate=7 April 2024|archive-date=7 April 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240407110845/https://apnews.com/article/shireen-abu-akleh-journalist-al-jazaeera-0967d45e7b480a8e7441de0ee4555d52|url-status=live}}

File:Graffiti of Shireen Abu Akleh in Nazareth.jpg reporter Shireen Abu Akleh in Nazareth who was killed by the Israeli military in 2022 and is widely considered an icon of Palestinian journalism]]

The IDF and Israeli settlers regularly uses violence against Palestinian journalists. A CPJ report in 2000 stated that there had been "dozens of violent attacks against Palestinian journalists by Israeli settlers or military forces in the occupied territories (throughout the 1990s)."{{Cite web |orig-date=20 October 2000 |title=Bloodied and Beleaguered |url=https://cpj.org/reports/2000/10/is-pal-oct00/ |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=Committee to Protect Journalists |language=en-US}} Human rights groups sent reports to the ICC for 4 journalists who had been killed or injured by the IDF between 2015 and 2019.{{Cite web |last=Dispatch |first=Peoples |date=2022-04-29 |title=Media and legal groups file complaint at ICC over Israeli violence against journalists |url=https://peoplesdispatch.org/2022/04/29/media-and-legal-groups-file-complaint-at-icc-over-israeli-violence-against-journalists/ |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=Peoples Dispatch |language=en-US}} Reporter Without Borders has sent three complaints to the ICC regarding journalist killings by the IDF since 2018.{{Cite web |date=2023-11-01 |title=RSF files complaint with ICC for war crimes against journalists in Palestine and Israel {{!}} RSF |url=https://rsf.org/en/rsf-files-complaint-icc-war-crimes-against-journalists-palestine-and-israel |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=rsf.org |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Narea |first=Nicole |date=2023-12-08 |title=Israel’s wartime assault on the free press |url=https://www.vox.com/23972456/journalists-killed-gaza-israel-press-freedom |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=Vox |language=en}} Media offices were bombed in Gaza in 2021 by the IDF, despite housing multiple press offices.{{Cite web |date=2021-05-16 |title=Media demand Israel explain destruction of news offices |url=https://apnews.com/article/israel-middle-east-israel-palestinian-conflict-media-business-050b1cc02293d702cfbe7db59b6ecbf4 |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=AP News |language=en}} The killing of Shireen Abu Akleh by IDF forces received significant media attention in 2022.{{Cite web |last=Tahhan |first=Zena Al |title=Shireen Abu Akleh: Al Jazeera reporter killed by Israeli forces |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/11/shireen-abu-akleh-israeli-forces-kill-al-jazeera-journalist |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}} A Palestinian media watchdog found 407 violations (~42% physical assaults) against Palestinian journalists by Israeli occupation in 2015.{{Cite web |last=Ratem |first=Noam |date=2016-04-22 |title=Israel's covert war against Palestinian media |url=https://www.972mag.com/israels-covert-war-against-palestinian-media/ |access-date=2024-01-01 |website=+972 Magazine |language=en-US}} The same watchdog found in their 2022 report, that 416 violations were committed by the Israeli occupation (~29% physical assaults).{{Cite web |last=Al-Khateeb |first=Shireen |date=2022 |editor-last=Bani Odeh |editor-first=Ghazi |title=Violations of Media Freedoms in Palestine |url=https://www.madacenter.org/files/flash/Annual%20Report%202020%20E%20(2).pdf |website=MADA:The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms}} In 2015, Israeli journalists decried the government closing of Arab news stations serving Palestinians and Arab Israelis.{{Cite web |last=Matar |first=Haggai |date=2015-11-26 |title=Israeli journalists slam Netanyahu over closure of Arabic media outlets |url=https://www.972mag.com/israeli-journalists-slam-netanyahu-over-closure-of-arabic-media-outlets/ |access-date=2024-01-01 |website=+972 Magazine |language=en-US}}

Israel has been claimed to charge Palestinian journalists with incitement for press coverage, usually through administrative detentions.{{Cite web |last=Abraham |first=Yuval |date=2022-04-05 |title=Israel Charges Palestinian Journalists With Incitement — for Doing Their Jobs |url=https://theintercept.com/2022/04/05/israel-palestine-journalists-incitement/ |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=The Intercept |language=en-US}} +972 Magazine reported in 2016 that Israeli security forces regularly arrest and use administrative detention against Palestinian journalists for incitement, but do not use administrative detentions against Israeli journalists publishing similarly incendiary materials. In 2016, Palestinian Prisoner Society was quoted as saying that 25 Palestinian journalists were imprisoned, with 7 under administrative detention.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2016-09-01 |title=PPS: "25 Journalists Are Imprisoned By Israel, Seven Of Them Without Charges Or Trial" |url=https://imemc.org/article/pps-25-journalists-are-imprisoned-by-israel-seven-of-them-without-charges-or-trial/ |access-date=2024-01-01 |website=IMEMC |language=en-US}}

Journalist Muhammad al-Qiq received international attention for protesting his administrative detention in 2016 with a 94-day hunger strike.{{Cite web |last=Konrad |first=Edo |date=2016-02-26 |title=Palestinian journalist reaches deal to end 94-day hunger strike |url=https://www.972mag.com/palestinian-journalist-reaches-deal-to-end-94-day-hunger-strike/ |access-date=2024-01-01 |website=+972 Magazine |language=en-US}} He was subsequently administratively detained again in 2017 and protested with a 32-day hunger strike.{{Cite news |last=AFP |date=10 March 2017 |title=Palestinian prisoner ends hunger strike as Israel agrees to his release |work=The Times of Israel |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinian-prisoner-ends-hunger-strike-as-israel-agrees-to-his-release/}}

{{See also|Killing of journalists in the Gaza war|List of journalists killed in the Gaza war}}

During the 2023 war in Gaza, the IDF has been criticized for its significant killing of journalists in Gaza.{{Cite news |last=Iqbal |first=Nosheen |last2=Balousha |first2=Hazem |last3=Abrahams |first3=Ruth |last4=Yusuf |first4=Courtney |last5=Khaleeli |first5=Homa |date=2023-12-04 |title=Why is the Israel-Hamas conflict so deadly for journalists? – podcast |language=en-GB |work=the Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/audio/2023/dec/04/why-is-the-israel-hamas-conflict-so-deadly-for-journalists-podcast |access-date=2023-12-31 |issn=0261-3077}} The CPJ, in the context of the Gaza war, placed Israel on a list of "worst jailers of journalists".{{Cite news |last=McGreal |first=Chris |date=2024-01-18 |title=Israel added to list of ‘worst jailers of journalists’ for first time |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/jan/18/journalists-jailed-imprisoned-israel |access-date=2024-01-19 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}

2023 saw record numbers of arrests of Palestinian journalists by the Israeli military in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where journalists face risk of assault by the Israeli and Palestinian law enforcements and from attacks by Israeli settlers. The Gaza Strip meanwhile, which has been under Israeli blockade since 2007, is considered to be one of the "most perilous places" to be a journalist, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.{{cite web|url=https://cpj.org/2024/01/palestinian-journalists-are-being-imprisoned-by-israel-in-record-numbers/|title=Palestinian journalists are being imprisoned by Israel in record numbers|work=Committee to Protect Journalists|date=18 January 2024|accessdate=7 April 2024|archive-date=7 April 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240407112558/https://cpj.org/2024/01/palestinian-journalists-are-being-imprisoned-by-israel-in-record-numbers/|url-status=live}} Since the beginning of the Gaza war, which broke out on 7 October 2023, many dozens of Palestinian journalists have been killed by Israel; 70% of journalists killed worldwide in 2023 have been Palestinian.{{cite web|url=https://cpj.org/reports/2024/02/israel-gaza-war-brings-2023-journalist-killings-to-devastating-high/|work=Committee to Protect Journalists|date=2 February 2024|accessdate=7 April 2024|title=Israel-Gaza war brings 2023 journalist killings to devastating high}} Many of the deaths have been caused by Israeli airstrikes.{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Kathy |date=30 October 2023 |title=Journalist casualties in the Israel-Gaza conflict |website=Committee to Protect Journalists |url=https://cpj.org/2023/10/journalist-casualties-in-the-israel-gaza-conflict/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231210192105/https://cpj.org/2023/12/journalist-casualties-in-the-israel-gaza-conflict/ |archive-date=10 December 2023 |access-date=8 April 2024}}

Though the Israeli occupation remains the greatest source of violence against Palestinian journalists, Palestinian journalists are also reliant on the PA for financial and political support, which can lead to violence and suppression. The PA received criticism in 2000 for allegedly attempting to censor footage of the Ramallah lynchings. Anecdotes of arrest and interventions (tadakhkhulat) by the PA for unfavorable coverage are common, such as threats, detainments, destruction of equipment or worse. One commentator, Hani al-Masri, states that after the occupation, the second threat against Palestinian journalism is the "split inside the Palestinians [between Fatah and Hamas]", followed by lack of resources and infrastructure. One Palestinian media scholar, Juman Quneis, states that “The laws are too weak to protect anyone, especially journalists. Any security group can go and arrest a journalist from their home without even a warrant, a notice, anything legal.” Human Rights Watch has posted a report documenting several cases of attacks and physical abuse against journalists by the PA.{{Cite web |date=2016-08-29 |title=Palestine: Crackdown on Journalists, Activists {{!}} Human Rights Watch |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/08/30/palestine-crackdown-journalists-activists |access-date=2023-12-31 |language=en}} A qualitative study of journalists in the West Bank and Gaza suggests that due to the split, there is a fear of surveillance and censorship by both political parties in the occupied territories.

In 2012, the PA detained journalist Yousef al-Shayeb after he wrote about corruption of the PA diplomatic mission to France.{{Cite web |date=2012-03-26 |title=PA detains journalist who wrote about diplomatic corruption |url=https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/pa-detains-journalist-who-wrote-about-diplomatic-corruption |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com |language=en-US}}

According to Reporters Without Borders, "Hamas and the Islamic Jihad harass and obstruct journalists suspected of collaborating with Israel". Yasser Murtaja was killed by Israeli fire in 2015, but had previously also been attacked and beaten by Hamas in 2015 while filming.{{Cite web |last=AFP and TOI Staff |date=11 April 2018 |title=Gazan journalist killed by Israel was beaten by Hamas — press group |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/gazan-journalist-killed-by-israel-was-beaten-by-hamas-press-body/ |website=The Times of Israel}} Human Rights Watch has posted a report documenting several cases of attacks and physical abuse against journalists by authorities in Gaza.

• History of Palestinian journalism
• List of journalists killed during the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
• Killing of journalists in the Gaza war
• List of journalists killed in the Gaza war
• Mass media in Israel
• Censorship in Israel
• Media coverage of the Arab–Israeli conflict
• Human rights violations against Palestinians by Israel

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book |last= Stein |first= Rebecca |date= 1 June 2021 |title= Screen Shots: State Violence on Camera in Israel and Palestine |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=zZYqEAAAQBAJ |publisher= Stanford University Press |isbn= 978-1-5036-2803-8 |access-date= 1 April 2024 }}
• {{cite book|first1=Mohammed|last1=Abualrob|first2=Diana|last2=Alkhayyat|chapter=Case 2: Palestine—New Media, Same Old Political Agenda|editor1-last=Kalyango|editor1-first=Yusuf|editor2-last=Mould|editor2-first=D.|title=Global Journalism Practice and New Media Performance|year=2014|publisher=Springer|pages=38–49|isbn=|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HYSoBAAAQBAJ|access-date=2 April 2024|archive-date=6 April 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240406211827/https://books.google.com/books?id=HYSoBAAAQBAJ|url-status=live}}

Palestinian

Journalists

Category:Human rights abuses in Israel

Category:Human rights abuses in Palestine

Category:War crimes in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict

Category:Media coverage of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict

Category:History of mass media in Palestine