Journalists' Syndicate: The Occupation Army Escalates Violations Against Journalists During June 2026

SadaNews - A report issued by the Freedom Committee of the Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate revealed a series of assaults against journalists during June 2026, indicating a clear escalation in targeting journalistic work. A total of 89 cases of violations were recorded, affecting dozens of journalists, media workers, and media students, ranging from killings, arrests, injuries, detention, prevention of coverage, targeting of property, physical assaults, and theft.

The month witnessed a dangerous escalation in assaults on the safety of journalists, exemplified by the martyrdom of Al Jazeera Mubasher photographer Ahmad Wishah after his home was targeted in the al-Brej camp. This occurred alongside direct injuries from bullets or tear gas, and repeated cases of suffocation during field coverage.

Data shows that the Israeli occupation army was responsible for the vast majority of the violations, with the policy of preventing journalistic coverage highlighted as the most recurring pattern. There were 36 recorded cases that involved multiple means including firing tear gas and sound bombs, threats, pushing, preventing photography, and forcing journalists to leave the scene of events. These violations were concentrated during the coverage of anti-settlement protests, demolition operations, and incursions into Palestinian cities and towns.

The report also documented cases of detention of journalists during or after performing their duties, which included searches, seizure of vehicles or keys, and prevention of the continuation of coverage, indicating the use of detention as a tool to disrupt media work.

Regarding arrests, 3 cases were recorded involving two female journalists and one male journalist, in addition to a media student, which included arrests from homes and during field coverage, with detention extensions in some cases.

Violations did not only target individuals directly but also extended to targeting private property, as the home of journalist Bilal Malakha and his family was destroyed following bombardment that targeted a residential block in al-Maghazi camp, leading to the displacement of the family.

The report also recorded assaults by non-Israeli parties, including the assault and theft of a TV reporter by settlers.

Furthermore, a photojournalist was detained and threatened inside Nasser Hospital in Gaza, and there was a physical assault on a freelance journalist while covering bombardment in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis.

The temporal distribution of incidents reveals a noticeable concentration of violations in the second half of the month, particularly during the period from June 15 to 29, which witnessed more than half of the documented cases, reflecting a field escalation accompanying security events and settlement activities.

Data indicates that most violations occurred while journalists were performing their field work, confirming the direct targeting of media coverage and not that journalists were incidentally caught in areas of confrontation.