With the Middle East and North Africa in turmoil, the situation is becoming increasingly dangerous for journalists. The Committee to Protect Journalists have so far identified five journalists killed across the region, the latest being photographer Jamal al-Sharaabi, killed in Yemen.
Today the harassment and intimidation spread to Gaza.
The Palestinian Ma’an news agency reports the Mayadeen Media Company was raided, in the course of which AP cameraman, Khalid Al-Ashqar, was attacked. The Reuters bureau was ransacked, two members of staff were arrested when they refused to hand over their cameras, and other journalists were warned not to cover the demonstrations for Palestinian unity.
The office of a Japanese TV station was also targeted; footage of Hamas police attacking demonstrators was confiscated.
A local journalist and activist has decided to remove her blog and Facebook page after the ‘head of her family’ received this text, “We will kill her the next time she blogs against us or uses Facebook to organize anything ... If you won't do it, we'll do it for you."
Earlier in the week, Hamas violently broke up Palestinian Unity demonstrations calling for an end of the split between the two Palestinian entities. Rumours continue to circulate that at least one person was killed as a result of police actions.
During a news conference on Hamas’ Al Aqsa television, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum, declined to comment on the attacks on news agencies when questioned by the Reuters correspondent.
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