Layan Bsharat
08 June 2026•Update: 08 June 2026
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate said Monday that it had documented 55 Israeli violations against its members in May.
"The Israeli occupation is pursuing a policy aimed at restricting the freedom of journalistic work and preventing journalists from performing their professional duty of conveying the truth and documenting violations on the ground,” it said in a statement.
The union said it documented 55 Israeli violations against journalists last month, including two injuries from live fire while covering events in the field, two arbitrary arrests, and 30 cases of detention and obstruction of work and coverage.
It also reported five cases of direct gunfire directed at journalists and five attacks using tear gas and stun grenades.
The syndicate also documented two cases of confiscation of journalistic equipment, two cases of physical assault on journalists, two cases of journalists being barred from covering events at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, one incident of a media outlet being raided and closed, one case of a journalist being brought before a court, and three cases of journalists being interrogated and summoned.
"These practices constitute a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, the Geneva Conventions, and international covenants related to freedom of opinion and expression, which guarantee the protection of journalists while performing their professional duties," it added.
The syndicate warned that targeting Palestinian journalists poses “an increasing threat to press freedom and the public's right to access information,” emphasizing that Israeli forces continue to use all means to suppress media work.
It called on international human rights, media organizations, and the United Nations, to "assume their legal and moral responsibilities to pressure the occupying authorities to halt their ongoing violations against Palestinian journalists, hold the perpetrators accountable, and provide the necessary protection for media workers."
Last month, the syndicate said that it had documented nearly 300 Israeli violations and attacks against its members since the beginning of 2026.
According to the union, at least 262 Palestinian journalists have been killed since October 2023, including 261 in Gaza, while six other reporters have been killed since the start of this year.
*Writing by Rasa Evrensel in Istanbul
