The Israeli army killed six Palestinian journalists and photographers and injured five others in the Gaza Strip in June 2024. Additionally, 24 Palestinian media professionals in the West Bank and the 1948 Territories were targeted by various Israeli violations. In Lebanon, journalists faced smear campaigns and physical assaults, while in Syria, arrests were predominantly carried out in opposition-controlled areas. In Jordan, the judiciary exacerbated indirect harassment of journalists by upholding a one-year prison sentence for a journalist, after extending her detention three times and refusing to substitute the sentence with alternative sanctions.
Below is a detailed summary of the violations monitored by the SKeyes Center in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan:
In the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army continued its assaults on Palestinian civilians, killing several journalists, photographers and artists. Victims included Abdullah Al-Jamal of Palestine Now as well as his wife and father (06/08), Ahlam Al-Ijla of Social Happiness magazine (06/09); photographer Mahmoud Kassem of Felesteen daily (06/14); Salim Al-Shurfa of Al-Aqsa satellite channel (06/20), and freelance journalists Rashed Al-Babli (06/06) and Mohammad Zalloum, along with his parents and sister (06/11). Several others were injured in Israeli bombings, including Safinaz Alloz of the News platform (06/08), Al-Jazeera-affiliated journalist Ahmad Alloh (06/27), Mohammad Abu Sharia of Shams News agency (06/29), and freelance photographers Mohammad Fayek (06/05) and Sleiman Hejji (06/29).
The Israeli army detained artist Manal Abu Safar for several hours (06/05), while Al-Monkhol channel clashed with SKeyes correspondent in Gaza, Mohammad Othman, via Telegram, over his political views (06/20).
In the West Bank, Israeli forces arrested Wafa agency journalist and editor Rasha Ahmad Harzallah, a day after summoning her (06/02), delaying her case examination three times. Freelance photographer Jarrah Khalaf was targeted with a live bullet that was unharmed (06/13). Al-Fajr TV correspondent Mohammad Nazzal and freelance journalist Hadi Sabarneh were prevented from covering the storming of Qalqilya at gunpoint (06/22). The Ofer court extended Sanad agency correspondent Mohammad Mona’s administrative detention by four months (06/25) and upheld the administrative detention sentence for freelance journalist Asmaa Hreish for three months (06/27).
In the 1948 Territories, settlers and border guards attacked Palestinian journalists and photographers, including Mustafa Kharouf, Saïd Al-Qaq, Ghassan Eid, Saïd Kheireddine (06/05), Ibrahim Sinjlawi (06/23), and Omar Awad (06/28), as well as journalists Malak Orok (06/05), Mohammad Maatouk, Kareen Al-Bash, Ward Qaraqreh, Abdul-Kader Abdul-Halim, Leila Eid, Ahmad Jradat, Seif Al-Qawasmi, Diala Jweihan (06/05), Nejma Hijazi (06/25), and Mujahid Idmir (06/28) to obstruct their reporting.
The Israeli government also approved the Communications Minister’s decision to extend the ban on Al-Jazeera’s operations in Israel for an additional 45 days (06/09), and the Jerusalem District Court postponed the trial of freelance journalist Saïd Rakan (06/20).
In Lebanon, journalists Youssef Diab (06/23), Maya Hashem, and Mariam Majdoline Lahham (06/04) were targeted by smear campaigns due to their political stances. Armed men assaukted Elsiyasa website publisher Rami Naïm because of his anti-Hezbollah positions (06/18). Security at Rafik Hariri International Airport initially barred photographers and journalists from entering the air cargo hub but later allowed them in (06/24). The Nida’ Al-Watan newspaper ceased operations due to financial difficulties (06/11).
In Syria, the military police arrested citizen journalist Salah Al-Fared in Afrin (06/03), while the Turkish-backed opposition forces arrested citizen journalist Karam Kulliya at the Al-Rai checkpoint (06/26). The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) arrested Kurdish National Council journalist Berivan Fouad Ismail in the Hasaka countryside (06/10).
