RAMALLAH, August 9, 2026 (WAFA) – The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate documented 108 attacks by the Israeli occupation against Palestinian journalists and media workers in July 2026.
According to a statement issued Sunday evening by the Syndicate’s Freedoms Committee, the documented attacks included detentions, beatings, interrogation, and obstruction of journalists’ work, as well as targeting them with stun grenades and tear gas, attacks by colonists, raids on homes and media institutions, and the seizure and destruction of journalistic equipment.
According to the Freedoms Committee’s documentation, 58 cases of brief detentions and restrictions on journalists’ reporting were recorded, making these two forms of violations the most frequently documented during the month, amid continued restrictions on journalists’ ability to cover events on the ground.
The committee documented 11 attacks by colonists against journalists and media crews, including physical assaults, shoving, threats, and attempts to prevent journalists from carrying out their work, particularly while covering incidents and violations across various areas of the West Bank.
It also documented 12 cases in which Israeli occupation forces targeted journalists with stun grenades and tear gas, causing some to suffer suffocation while covering raids, attacks, and events on the ground.
Regarding physical assaults, the Freedoms Committee documented six cases of beatings, in addition to four cases in which journalists sustained injuries resulting in bleeding while carrying out their professional duties and covering developments in the Gaza Strip, including injuries caused by shrapnel from missiles and artillery shells.
Regarding detentions, the committee documented the detention of two journalists, while four journalists were interrogated in connection with their professional duties and journalistic activities.
The committee also documented four cases involving raids on homes and media institutions, some of which included searches, tampering with contents, and the interrogation of journalists, in addition to the closure of a media institution and the seizure of its contents.
Concerning journalistic equipment, the committee documented three cases of equipment being seized and destroyed, in addition to two cases in which video footage was deleted while journalists were prevented from carrying out their reporting or were attacked in the course of their duties.
The Freedoms Committee also documented two cases involving the expulsion of journalists from Al-Aqsa Mosque following decisions banning them from entering the mosque’s courtyards for specified periods.
The committee stressed that the incidents documented during July demonstrate that Israeli occupation attacks were not confined to a single form of violation, but encompassed a range of practices, including detentions, interrogation, physical assaults, the use of tear gas and stun grenades, preventing media coverage, the seizure of equipment, and the deletion of video footage.
It noted that the figures confirm that Palestinian journalists continue to face multiple risks and restrictions while carrying out their professional duty of reporting and documenting events, amid repeated incidents of obstructing their work, detaining them, and attacking media crews at various locations.
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate called for ensuring the protection of journalists and enabling them to carry out their work free from threats, attacks, and pursuit; upholding freedom of journalistic work and the public’s right to access information; and holding those responsible for attacks and violations against journalists and media crews accountable.
T.R.
