occupation targets Palestinian journalists with 89 violations

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate revealed a surge in Israeli occupation army violations against journalists during June, documenting 89 violations targeting journalists, media workers, and media students, amid the ongoing targeting of journalistic work.

A report issued by the Syndicate’s Freedoms Committee on Tuesday explained that the violations recorded during June 2026 ranged from killing, arrest, injury, and detention to preventing coverage, targeting property, physical assaults, and theft, in a clear escalation against media work.

The report noted a dangerous escalation in attacks on the safety of journalists, exemplified by the killing of Al Jazeera Mubasher cameraman Ahmed Washah after his home in the Bureij refugee camp was targeted, in addition to direct injuries from live ammunition and tear gas canisters, and frequent cases of suffocation during field coverage.

The data showed that the occupation army was responsible for the vast majority of the violations, while the policy of preventing press coverage topped the list of the most frequent violations, with 36 cases recorded, implemented through various means. The report also documented cases of journalists being detained during or after performing their duties, including searches, confiscation of vehicles or their keys, and prevention from completing coverage, indicating the use of detention as a tool to disrupt media work.

The report recorded three arrests of two female journalists, one male journalist, and a female media student. These arrests included detentions at home and during field coverage, with detention extended in some cases.

The report indicated that the chronological distribution of incidents reveals a significant increase in violations during the second half of June, particularly between the 15th and 29th of the month, which witnessed more than half of the documented cases. This reflects an escalation on the ground that accompanied Israeli attacks and settlement activities.

The data confirmed that most violations occurred while journalists were carrying out their fieldwork, demonstrating the direct targeting of media coverage, rather than journalists simply being caught in the crossfire.