Palestine: Two journalists shot by Israeli forces in Occupied Palestinian Territories

Cameraman Louay Samhan and reporter Mahmoud Fawzy, who work for Palestine TV, were shot and wounded on 5 October while covering an Israeli military raid in the town of Deir Al Hatab, east of Nablus, in the occupied West Bank. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemn the crime and call on the Israeli government to hold the perpetrators accountable and halt, once and for all, targeted attacks on Palestinian media workers.

Smoke rises in the village of Deir al-Hatab, east of Nablus, during the Israeli military raid on October 5, 2022. Credit: Jaafar Ashtiyeh / AFP

According to the media, the two members of the Palestine TV crew were shot, one in the hand and the other in the shoulder. Israeli military said that the cause of their injuries is “unknown.” 

The PJS issued a statement condemning the attack. “We condemn in the strongest terms the crime of the occupation which targeted Palestine TV cameraman Louay Samhan and reporter Mahmoud Fawzy, and besieged media crews while covering the occupation’s aggression on Deir Al Hatab in Nablus.”  

“This crime confirms the intensification of the policy of systematic targeting by the occupation army against Palestinian journalists”, the statement added. The PJS documented that the Israeli army and security forces were responsible for at least 479 violations of media and journalists’ rights in Palestine during the first half of 2022. 

IFJ’s Secretary General Anthony Bellanger said: “We condemn the latest crime in a long list of targeted attacks on Palestinian media workers carried out by Israeli forces. It is time for Israel to halt these crimes and dismantle their system of oppression. It is time for a new UN Convention to enhance the safety, protection and independence of media workers.” 

For more information, please contact IFJ on +32 2 235 22 16

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