Ref: 17/2016

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) issued a new report about the “Israeli Attacks Against Media Personnel in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt)”. This report, which is the 18th of its kind, is part of the “Silencing the Press” series that documents the Israeli attacks against media personnel and institutions in the oPt. It covers the period 01 April 2015 – 31 March 2016.

This report aims to document Israeli forces and settlers attacks against media personnel that were collected by PCHR staff based on testimonies of victims and eyewitnesses and field investigations.  PCHR’s investigations refute the Israeli claims regarding certain crimes, such as opening fire at media personnel and wounding them in a way clearly showing these crimes were willfully committed and force was excessively used without taking into account the principles of distinction, proportionality or military necessity.

This report documents a significant escalation of Israeli attacks against local and international media personnel, particularly after the protests erupted in the oPt since October 2015. PCHR documented 106 attacks against journalists including: opening fire leading to injuries; beating and other forms of violence, humiliation and degrading treatment; arrests and detention; denying them access to certain areas and preventing them from covering certain incidents; confiscation of their equipment and devices; raiding media institutions and homes of media workers; preventing them from travelling abroad and preventing the print of certain newspapers.

This report concludes that most of the Israeli forces’ attacks against local and international media workers were deliberate and willful as part of the Israeli policy that aims to impose isolation on the oPt in order to escalate the killings and abuses against unarmed Palestinians.

PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to urgently intervene, fulfill their obligations and provide international protection for the Palestinians and their property. Moreover, PCHR calls upon all international media institutions to continue covering violations against media workers in the oPt and make all efforts needed on the international level to practice pressure on the Israeli government and stop its crimes against Palestinian civilians and their property in general and its crimes against media workers in particular.