After Monday’s Israeli army’s abduction of four Palestinians journalists in Ramallah, in central West Bank, the Palestinian Information Ministry issued a statement denouncing the dangerously escalating Israeli violations against Palestinian journalists and media outlets, calling on the International Community to intervene in ending these attacks, and ensuring Israel’s compliance with international laws.
In its Monday statement, the Information Ministry said the abduction of the head of Al-Aqsa TV, Ala Rimawi, its correspondent Mohammad Alwan, cameraman Hosni Anjass and journalist Qoteiba Hamdan, and the illegal confiscation of two media cars, and equipment, is part of Israel’s campaign against the journalists, in an attempt to terrorize them and prevent them from exposing its crimes against the Palestinian people.
It called on the International Federation of Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, the international community, and all organizations working for human rights and the freedom of the press, to intervene, and help in ending the escalating Israeli crimes, and violations against Palestinian journalists and media outlets.
The Ministry called on the United Nations Security Council, and its current president, Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations Olof Skoog, to ensure the implementation of Resolution #2222 regarding the protection of journalists.
It added that the Security Council must not only protect the journalist and media agencies, but also punish those who commit violations against them, especially since Israel has legislated several “laws” that prevent the journalists from filming Israeli soldiers during invasions into Palestinian communities, and other “laws” protecting the soldiers who assault journalists, in addition to the so-called “Facebook Bill”.
It stated that the abduction of the four journalists, and obstructing the work of journalists awaiting the release of Ahed Tamimi and her mother, Sunday, in addition to targeting Palestine TV cameraman in Kufur Qaddoum, Friday, and the deliberate targeting of journalist and reports across occupied Palestine, including the killing Yasser Mortaja and Ahmad Abu Hussein, in Gaza, this past April, are part of constant Israeli crimes that require the immediate international intervention and effective action to stop them, and hold the violators accountable.
