On 21 April, Al-Aqsa Mosque's Noble Sanctuary was shut down by Israeli authorities. On 25 April 2014, while Muslim worshippers prayed in the streets of Jerusalem, eight Palestinian photographers and journalists were beaten up by Israeli forces as they attempted to cover the prayers and the subsequent clashes.
Israeli forces physically attacked eight Palestinian photojournalists on 25 April 2014 while they were covering Friday prayers in the streets of Jerusalem following the decision to shut down Al-Aqsa Mosque. The decision resulted in a security crisis and traffic jam in the city.
Security forces assaulted Aymen Abu Romouz, a cameraman for AlMayadeen TV channel, Mahmoud Alyan, photographer at Al-Kuds newspaper, and freelance photographer Saeed Al-Qaq during their coverage of prayers that took place outside as a result of the Al-Aqsa shutdown.
Mona Al-Kawasmi, a reporter for Al-Kuds, Wael Al-Salayma, an Al Jazeera cameraman, Mahfouz Abu Turk, a photographer and Diala Jwayhan, a Quds Net Agency reporter, were assaulted while covering the clashes that took place between Israeli forces and those attempting to pray at Bab Hutta and Bab al-Majlis in Jerusalem.
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) believes that the Israeli occupation forces’ attack on Palestinian journalists on the job is a perpetuation of their policy of muzzling mouths in order to create a stifling climate that hinders journalists from doing their jobs.
ANHRI calls on Israeli security forces to suspend such practices and to abide by the international laws that protect journalists and media professionals’ rights.
ANHRI added that Israel should also discontinue the arbitrary security decisions that violate Palestinian people’s rights, in particular, the closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
