Journalist Syndicate: Targeting Palestinian Journalists in Jerusalem During Ramadan Aims to Conceal the Truth

SadaNews - The data documented by the Freedoms Committee of the Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate indicate a clear escalation in the targeting of Palestinian journalists by the Israeli occupation forces and their security arms in the city of Jerusalem during the period leading up to Ramadan and throughout the holy month. This is part of a systematic policy aimed at limiting media coverage of events in the holy city, especially around Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The recorded incidents during January and February 2026 reveal a complex pattern of violations that did not only include arrests or interrogations but also involved expulsions from Al-Aqsa Mosque, prevention of coverage, and assaults on journalists while performing their work, in addition to banning media websites.

Expulsion from Al-Aqsa Mosque as a tool to silence coverage

The data shows that the occupation authorities increasingly relied on the policy of expulsion from Al-Aqsa Mosque as a means to limit the presence of journalists in the most sensitive media location during Ramadan.

The occupation police issued expulsion orders against several journalists, including journalist Muhammad Al-Sadiq and journalist Muhammad Abu Sanina for a week, while they expelled Maysa Abu Ghazaleh, a correspondent for the "Ma'an" network, from Al-Aqsa Mosque for six months.

Expulsion orders also targeted a number of journalists who were arrested or interrogated in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, such as journalist Ibrahim Al-Sanjlawi and photographer Ahmad Jalajal.

This policy of expulsion is not limited to individual cases, as the occupation authorities issued on February 27 a series of arbitrary collective expulsion orders against a large number of journalists to prevent them from covering events in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque and its surroundings during Ramadan, including: Latifa Abdul Latif, Firas Al-Dabas, Rami Al-Khatib, Muhammad Al-Dweik, Bassem Zaidani, Wahbi Makkah, Nadine Jafar, Muhammad Qarout, Saif Al-Qawasmi, Bayan Al-Jabha, Baraa Shaloudi, and Rajaa Al-Khatib.

These decisions reflect a clear attempt to impose a media vacuum around Al-Aqsa Mosque during a period that usually witnesses significant public and media attendance.

In addition to the expulsion orders, the Freedoms Committee has documented a series of arrests and interrogations of Jerusalem journalists.

The occupation police arrested photographer Nasreen Salem from the "Al-Asima" agency and imposed strict conditions for her release, including a financial fine and a high bail, house arrest, a ban on using social media, and expulsion from Al-Aqsa Mosque for six months.

Additionally, the occupation forces arrested journalist Nawal Hijazi near the Shuafat refugee camp before releasing her on financial bail and fine while awaiting trial.

These measures indicate the use of legal and security tools together to pressure journalists and deter them from continuing their work in covering events in Jerusalem.

The violations were not limited to arrest or expulsion but also included direct prevention of media coverage.

The occupation forces prevented journalists from covering the movement of Palestinian citizens through the Qalandiya checkpoint, obstructing their work in an attempt to prevent the transmission of the daily reality faced by Palestinians in the vicinity of Jerusalem.

Several journalists in January were subjected to the firing of sound bombs and tear gas while covering the incursion of the occupation forces into the town of Kafr Aqab north of Jerusalem, including Al-Jazeera Mubasher correspondent Muhammad Samreen, Al-Jazeera correspondent Tharwat Shaqra, Al-Arabi Television reporter Dean Shahadeh, photographer Rabi Mooneer, and journalist Hadi Sabarnah.

In another incident, the occupation forces prevented journalists under threat of weaponry from covering the incursions into Kafr Aqab and Qalandiya, forcing them to leave the area.

The occupation authorities also took an additional step by banning five Jerusalem-based electronic news websites, namely:

Maydan Al-Quds, Al-Asima, Al-Mi'raj, Quds Press, and Al-Bawseela, under the pretext of "supporting terrorism".

This decision indicates that the targeting is not limited to individual journalists but extends to include local media platforms that convey news of Jerusalem to the Palestinian and global audiences.

Taken together, these measures indicate that the occupation authorities sought, prior to the holy month of Ramadan, to reduce the Palestinian media presence in Jerusalem, especially around Al-Aqsa Mosque, through a mix of security, legal, and administrative procedures.

These policies come in light of the occupation's understanding of the role of media in conveying what is happening at Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan, a period that usually witnesses field tensions and extensive public presence.

The data confirms that what is happening in Jerusalem does not represent isolated incidents but reflects an organized policy aimed at media control and monopolizing the production, shaping, and exporting of news in the holy city to serve the aspirations of the Israeli occupation and prevent Palestinian journalists from documenting the violations experienced by citizens in the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Freedoms Committee at the Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate views these practices as a serious violation of journalistic freedom and calls for urgent international action to protect Palestinian journalists and ensure their right to practice their profession without harassment or intimidation.