Palestine: crackdown against journalists intensifies in West Bank and East Jerusalem
The repression of reporters in the West Bank and East Jerusalem has intensified in recent months despite the recent ceasefire in Gaza, which collapsed when Israel resumed its strikes on the Western Palestinian strip. In the eastern Palestinian territories, Israeli armed forces have shot at journalists, arrested them and restricted their movement. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank and East Jerusalem, has detained Al Jazeera journalists. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warns of a growing crackdown, which is transforming the region into a news desert.
"The Israeli occupation’s ongoing attacks against reporters in the West Bank and East Jerusalem have multiplied in recent months, to the point where they are now commonplace. The normalisation of this violence must end. For its part, the Palestinian Authority has also arrested and questioned journalists associated with the Qatari channel Al Jazeera, further limiting press freedom in Palestine. We are deeply concerned about the increasing violence facing these journalists and its impact on the public’s right to reliable information. This is all the more alarming in a context of renewed Israeli strikes in Gaza, where nearly 200 journalists have been killed since 2023, including at least 42 in the line of duty.
Obstructed news coverage
The journey from Ramallah to Tulkarem should take 90 minutes, but since 7 October 2023, travellers must pass through seven military checkpoints, often spending hours on the road. “The situation has worsened since the ceasefire in Gaza,” says RSF West Bank correspondent Aziza Nofal. In addition to the traffic caused by checkpoints that are frequently closed, the Israeli army has installed dozens of metal road barriers since January 2024. “Sometimes everything is blocked, and it’s impossible to move,” reports Aziza Nofal.
These restrictions on movement prevent journalists from covering violence committed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank. Like the cities Jenin and Nablus, Tulkarem hosts refugee camps that have been targeted by Israeli raids for nearly two months as Israel’s occupying forces claim to be conducting "anti-terrorist operations." Yet since early 2025, RSF has documented at least 20 deliberate attacks on media professionals near these camps.
Targeted attacks against journalists
Freelance photojournalist Mohammad Atiq was covering a raid on a refugee camp in Qabatiya, a city south of Jenin, for French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP)when a military vehicle reportedly advanced toward him and nine other reporters who were clearly identifiable as journalists. The soldiers in the vehicle proceeded to fire rubber bullets and tear gas grenades in their direction.
Hours later, near the same camp, four other freelance journalists were harassed by Israeli forces. “One military unit allowed us access to the area, but another ordered us to leave,” journalist Naser Ishtayeh told RSF. “As we were leaving, about 25 soldiers intercepted us, insulted us, searched our phones, and confiscated our hard drives. The army still has them to this day.”
Freelance journalist Nagham al-Zayet was filming a raid in Tulkarem on 29 January when a soldier fired a shot at a steel pole inches away from her, seemingly to intimidate the reporter. Shrapnel from the impact injured her hand.
Five days later, on a road leading to Jenin, another targeted attack took place: three military jeeps drove straight toward freelance journalist Obadah Tahayneh. Fearing he would be run over, he dropped his camera and broadcasting equipment to take cover. The vehicles then deliberately ran over his professional gear, completely destroying it, he told RSF.
Journalists working near Palestinian refugee camps are regularly searched, questioned and sometimes detained. According to RSF, 17 reporters who were arrested in the West Bank since 7 October 2023 for their journalism are still in Israeli detention centers. More recently, about ten journalists were temporarily detained by Israeli forces after covering the arrival of Palestinian worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem during Ramadan.
Harassment from Palestinian authorities
Separate from Israeli raids, Palestinian security forces have also launched an intimidation campaign against journalists in recent weeks. Since January, nine journalists have been summoned or temporarily detained by the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, according to RSF information. All were questioned about their connections to Al Jazeera, which the Palestinian Authority banned on 1 January. The Palestinian Authority accused the Qatari news outlet, which is also targeted by the Israeli government, of spreading "incitement," "sedition" and "disinformation," and of "interfering in Palestinian internal affairs."
On 8 January, journalist Salah al-Din Abu al-Hassan was summoned and questioned by Palestinian forces in the West Bank about his coverage of Al Jazeera's newsroom shutdown, while journalist Mohammed Samarin was interrogated about his work with the Qatari outlet. The next day, Al Jazeera correspondent Laith Jaar was also summoned and forced to sign a pledge not to appear on the channel as long as the ban remains in effect.
