GAZA, Monday, April 27, 2020 (WAFA) - Al Mezan Center for Human Rights condemned yesterday Hamas detention of Palestine TV crew while covering Ramadan festivities in local markets in North Gaza district for a report on living conditions in the Gaza Strip.

It said in a statement that Hamas police in Gaza detained cameraman Mohammed Ziyada Nassar, 43, and reporter Mohammed Salim Abu Hatab, 50, while doing their work in Gaza.

It said that its field investigations showed that the police detained the two crew members of the Ramallah-based Palestine TV while filming on Saturday morning and held them at the local police station in Jabalia Camp in North Gaza.

Before their release on the same day, the journalists were interrogated about the nature of their work and had to sign a pledge vowing not to conduct future field work without obtaining prior permission from the Hamas-run media office, said the Gaza-based human rights organization.

“Al Mezan condemns the incident and stresses that duty-bears are obligated, under Palestinian and international law, to promote public liberties and respect human rights, especially those related to freedom of opinion and expression,” it said. “Al Mezan also reaffirms the strong correlation between human rights promotion, freedom of the press, and the freedom to access, publish and disseminate information as a pathway to transparency and the public good.”

Hamas has been in control of Gaza since July 2007 following armed takeover of the sea enclave after pushing the Palestinian Authority forces out of it. Efforts are still underway to reunite the two parts of Palestine.

M.K.