Journalists Syndicate: September witnesses occupation chaos with bullets in the West Bank and 166 martyrs since last October

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned the ongoing escalation in targeting journalists in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank by the occupation army, which led to the martyrdom of two colleagues last September, joining about 164 of their colleagues who were killed by Israeli occupation bullets since October 2023 and the beginning of the Israeli aggression. The media report issued by the Freedoms Committee of the Syndicate monitored 185 crimes and violations by the Israeli occupation army and institutions during the month of September 2024, which carried with it many crimes, most notably the martyrdom of fellow journalist Abdullah Kashkash by a drone bullet west of Rafah city, while fellow journalist Muhammad Abu Shawqa was also martyred in Al-Bureij camp by a missile attack on his home. The report added that the Freedoms Committee monitored 9 fatal injuries caused by live bullets and missile shrapnel in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with a very significant increase in live fire by occupation soldiers towards press crews in order to prevent them from covering the events, as 44 cases were monitored. While 5 journalists were arrested, including two female journalists, and 10 institutions and journalists' homes were stormed, destroyed and searched. While about 23 journalists were injured by inhaling the toxic tear gas fired at them by the occupation army, and 10 of them were subjected to an attempt to run them over and chase them with military vehicles. The report indicated that the methodology of preventing coverage affected 67 journalists in the West Bank while they were covering events, most of which were in the northern West Bank. The report stressed the union's rejection of the occupation's measures, which included the decision to close the Al Jazeera office in the city of Ramallah and confiscate its journalistic equipment, as well as blowing up the broadcast device, destroying the equipment of Radio Nas in Jenin, and destroying the contents of 11 media institutions. The report concluded by stressin g the continuation of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate's efforts to prosecute the occupation for its crimes against the press, through communication with all international media and human rights organizations, in order to ensure that all levels of the Israeli occupation system do not escape punishment for their crimes against Palestinian journalists. Source: Maan News Agency