NABLUS, October 24, 2017 (WAFA) – Dozens of journalists gathered at the center of Nablus city, in the northern West Bank, on Tuesday to protest Israel’s crackdown on the Palestinian media and closure of a number of media offices under the pretext of broadcasting inciting material.

Speaking at the protest, head of the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate, Nasser Abu Baker, said letters were sent to the International Federation of Journalists asking it to send a fact-finding commission to investigate Israel’s violations against Palestinian journalists and the media.

He said he asked Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah to take a decision to re-open the media companies that were closed last week under an Israeli military order even though they are located in areas administered by the Palestinian Authority.

The Israeli military raided offices of three major media companies located in Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem and Nablus and ordered eight offices and branches shut down for six months. The army seized broadcast equipment and arrested two Hebron-based journalists.

M.N./M.K.