The Israeli Occupation Army closes 8 media offices in the West Bank
• Violation: closing media offices
• Location: Hebron, Bethlehem, Ramallah and Nablus governorates
• Date : October 18 , 2017
• Perpetrator: the Israeli occupation army
The Palestinian media is a free platform that reflects what is happening in Palestine and Israeli aggression and violations of human rights. Media is the means by which Palestinians address the world public opinion to be aware of what is happening at the level of the Palestinian arena.
Reportedly, large forces of the Israeli occupation army, accompanied by the so-called Israeli Intelligence Agency "Shabak" stormed on Wednesday, October 18, 2017 four Palestinian governorates, closed media offices of companies providing logistical services to a number of Palestinian stations and confiscated its technical equipment. The target companies are Pal Media, Trans Media and Ram Sat, which provide logistic services to Al Quds, Palestine Today, Al Aqsa and a number of T.V stations.
Photos 1-4: Palmedia office closed by the occupation in Nablus
The Israeli occupation forces have hanged the closure orders of these companies on the doors that have been closed with metal slabs and bars in Hebron, Ramallah, Nablus and Bethlehem. The owners of buildings and shops were threatened not to cooperate with these media companies. Reportedly , the orders mentioned that the closure lasts for six months from the date of closure, and whoever deals with those target parties will be prosecuted and arrested.
Photos 5-9: the closure of Hebron offices
According to eyewitnesses, "the occupation army emptied the offices completely and confiscated computers and tapes of the archives of the target stations, as well as cameras and audio equipment and files archived from the offices before the main entrances are closed with slabs and iron bars.
The Israeli media claimed that the Israeli occupation army closed the offices for airing and broadcasting inciting content that encourages youth to carry out terrorist and violent attacks in the area.
It should be noted that these companies are only technical companies that offer services for a fee, which means that they are relative to the private sector and cannot be closed nor their equipments can be confiscated.
This procedure contradicts with international humanitarian law, the Fourth Geneva Conventions and the Hague Convention, and is contrary to Israeli civil law itself. Israeli companies have always provided similar services without any accountability …!
The human rights institutions in Palestine, including the Land Research Center, condemn this assault as a barbaric attack, demanding that the confiscated equipments must be returned, and offices reopened and allowed to continue on their work.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
