Ref: 80/2023

Date: 05 August 2023

Time: 13:00 GMT

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the security services’ forcible dispersal of peaceful assemblies in Gaza organized by a youth movement called “We Want to Live” to protest the economic situation, especially in light of the ongoing power outages and the recent attacks on protestors that included preventing them from gathering, arresting and interrogating two journalists and confiscating their equipment, threatening the protestors, and arresting many of them.

According to the field follow-up, on Friday, 04 August 2023, “We Want to Live” movement called on citizens on social media to participate in peaceful protests against the economic situation. Therefore, hundreds of citizens took to the streets in Northern Gaza and Khan Yunis, but the security services dispersed them by force, beat them, and arrested many of them, including journalists. In other governorates, many Hamas members and security officers in plainclothes deployed on the streets in anticipation of citizens taking to the streets to participates in protests.

In Northern Gaza, at approximately 17:00, hundreds of citizens gathered on the streets between Trans Intersection and Al-Hawja Street in Jabalia refugee camp to participate in the peaceful protest while large number of security officers in plainclothes and Hamas members were there too. Confrontations erupted with the protestors that escalated into security forces and Hamas members beating the protesters using their hands. About half an hour, the security officers in plainclothes stopped journalist Mohammad ‘Abdul-Razzaq Al-Baba (55), a photographer for the Agence France Presse, and Bashar Ahmad ‘Abed Taleb (34), a freelance photojournalist, and asked them to get into a civilian car, and they were transferred and detained at the Jabalya Police Station. Both were detained for 45 minutes and interrogated about their presence in the event and if they had obtained a prior permit from the Governmental Information office. Also, their cameras and cellphones were examined, and Al-Baba’s cellphone was confiscated because he took selfies in the event as they were both released without returning Al-Baba’s cellphone.

In Khan Yunis, before the protest took place at 17:00, Hamas members in plainclothes, some believed to be security officers, had deployed at the main intersections near Jasser Building and Bani Suhaila intersection. As a result, no assemblies occurred, as those members prevented any gatherings in the areas where demonstrations were supposed to be organized.

After 18:00, there was an attempt to gather near Abu Hamid intersection, but dozens of Hamas members in plainclothes were already there, prevented them and beat many of them. After Maghrib prayer, most of Hamas members withdrew from the intersections, and a police force stationed near Jasser intersection, and two other forces stationed at Abu Hamid intersection.

A journalist said to PCHR’s fieldworker that at approximately 17:05 while on a street adjacent to Shubair Street, heading to the area to cover the expected incidents, two persons in civilian clothes on a motorbike stopped him; one of them got off the bike, took his cellphone and told him to refer to the Internal Security Headquarter in order to return his cellphone.

In Gaza City, a large number of security forces in plainclothes and Hamas members were at the main intersections across the City at 17:00, when the peaceful protest was supposed to start. They stationed at Shuja’iyya intersection, the market intersection in Al-Shati refugee camp, Al-Saraya intersection, and al-Jundi al-Majhool Square, to prevent citizens from gathering in those areas.

In Rafah, security officers detained several young men who tried to gather at 17:00 at Al-Najma Square in central Rafah but released them after three hours.

Therefore, PCHR calls upon the Public Prosecutor to investigate the events that accompanied the peaceful protests, including beating protestors, and arresting and interrogating journalists.

PCHR emphasizes that freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and political participation are guaranteed under the Palestinian Basic Law, particularly Articles 19 and 26, and shall not be prejudiced under any pretext.

PCHR also urges the competent authorities to take the necessary measures to cease such attacks and respect citizens’ public freedoms that are constitutionally guaranteed in accordance with international human rights standards.