Israel’s 57 November assaults on Palestinian journalists raise alarm

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published 1 hour ago |  JP Middle East Desk

A new report documents 57 attacks, detentions, and confiscations targeting Palestinian journalists last month, highlighting a coordinated campaign endangering media freedom in the West Bank and Gaza.

Summary

RAMALLAH — A new monthly assessment by the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) details 57 separate violations against Palestinian journalists in the occupied West Bank and Gaza during November 2025. The report warns the incidents represent a “continued systematic escalation” aimed at obstructing media work and undermining press freedom. According to the report, two journalists, one in Tulkarem and another in Gaza, were wounded by live ammunition or plastic-coated bullets while covering events. The list of abuses also includes detentions, physical assaults, equipment confiscation, forced deletion of media material, and even destruction or seizure of journalists’ vehicles.

Escalating settler-linked attacks on journalists

Most severe incidents were reportedly carried out by illegal settlers operating across multiple parts of the West Bank. The PJS notes that some 22 of the assaults involved settlers preventing coverage, chasing journalists, beating them with sticks, throwing stones, and brandishing weapons. These actions often occurred even when journalists wore clearly marked press vests, a practice that would normally afford them protection under international humanitarian law. 

The report further documents 16 cases of detentions or obstruction of journalistic work, six direct physical attacks, four cases of equipment confiscation or media deletion, and two incidents where weapons were pointed directly at media professionals. Additionally, there were reports of home raids, court summonses for journalists, and destruction or confiscation of their vehicles. 

Growing calls for international monitoring

In response, the head of the PJS Press Freedoms Committee, Mohammed al-Lahham, described the findings as evidence of a concerted effort to silence Palestinian media coverage. He called on the international community to step up pressure for protection and insisted on the need for an international monitoring mechanism to safeguard journalists operating in conflict zones.

The documented violence and intimidation pose significant risks for media professionals trying to cover developments on the ground, particularly as conflict and humanitarian crises continue. Journalists face life-threatening hazards simply for doing their jobs. Media organisations and advocacy groups say these abuses undermine the public’s right to know and hamper efforts toward accountability and transparency in the region.

KEY POINTS:

• The PJS recorded 57 violations against Palestinian journalists in November 2025, including injuries, detentions, assaults, and equipment seizures
• Two journalists in Tulkarem and Gaza were wounded by live ammunition or plastic bullets while reporting
• Illegal settlers carried out many of the most serious attacks, including physical violence, harassment, and threats
• Multiple cases involved obstruction of coverage, confiscation of equipment, forced deletion of footage, and destruction or seizure of vehicles
• PJS leadership condemned the pattern as a deliberate campaign to silence press freedom and called for international protection and monitoring

ATTRIBUTION: Based on reporting by the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate and aggregated by Anadolu News, Tehran Times, and other sources

PHOTO: AI-generated; for illustrative purposes only