RAMALLAH, July 30, 2018 (WAFA) – The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) and the Ministry of Information condemned on Monday in two separate statements Israel’s detention of four Palestinian journalists in Ramallah earlier in the day.

The PJS described the Israeli act, which included as well seizure of cars and equipment, as “piracy and a new assault on the Palestinian media.”

It said the act was “part of the ongoing war by the occupation on freedom of expression and the Palestinian narrative and an attempt to conceal the crimes of the occupation against the Palestinian people.”

The Ministry of Information also described the detention of the four journalists as “a continuation of the open aggression on the guardians of truth and media outlets, as well as proof of Israel’s disrespect for international resolutions that guarantee freedom of journalistic work.”

It said this act “is part of Israeli attempts to terrorize journalists and to silence them.”

Both the PJS and the ministry called for an international intervention to protect the Palestinian journalists, and called on the United Nations to speak up against what the PJS described as “a dangerous assault on freedom of expression, opinion and journalism,” and to activate its Security Council resolution 2222 adopted on 27 May 2015 on protection of journalists in areas of conflict.

Israeli forces detained on Monday Ala Rimawi, who runs Al-Quds television station, and freelance journalists Mohammad Ulwan, Husni Injass and Qutaibah Hamdan during pre-dawn raids at their homes in Ramallah and seized their cars and personal computers under the pretext they worked for the alleged Hamas-affiliated Al-Quds TV, which Israel has banned on July 9.

The Ministry of Information said 32 Palestinian journalists and writers are currently held by Israel for their work.

M.K.