A report by a human rights organisation specialising in monitoring violations against media freedoms revealed a sharp increase in attacks on journalists in Palestine during December 2023 compared to November. The Palestinian Centre for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) documented 103 violations last month, up from 72 in November. Notably, 13 journalists were killed in Gaza by Israeli forces during this period.

The report noted that multiple actors contributed to the rise in violations, with journalists facing assaults from both Israeli forces and Palestinian factions, especially in northern West Bank cities. Israeli attacks on journalists intensified in the West Bank and Gaza, while Palestinian violations were largely linked to military campaigns, including one in Jenin that led to a journalist’s death. In Gaza, violations by Palestinian groups remained negligible amid the ongoing Israeli military campaign.

In December, Israeli authorities were responsible for 71 violations, Palestinian factions for 31, and social media platforms for one. This marks a 9% increase in Israeli violations from November, with assaults rising from 65 to 71, making up 69% of all violations. These included the killing of 13 journalists in Gaza, bombing the homes of seven journalists, and carrying out 11 physical assaults. These assaults involved shooting a journalist in Gaza, injuries from shrapnel, gas suffocation in the West Bank, and the beating of four journalists by Israeli soldiers.

Israeli forces arrested eight journalists in the West Bank and four in Gaza, with one reporting abuse during a 12-hour detention. Eight journalists in the West Bank were prevented from covering events, and nine others were targeted to obstruct their reporting. A military vehicle attempted to run over a journalist in Tulkarm. On December 11, Walid Zayed was sentenced to 10 months in prison and fined 2,000 shekels, while Hamid Taqatqa received 15 months and a 6,000-shekel fine, and Rola Hasnain was sentenced to 11 months.

MADA reported that Palestinian factions were responsible for 30% of the documented violations in December, a sharp rise from just four incidents in November to 31 last month. These violations included 26 assaults in the West Bank and five in Gaza, among them the killing of a female journalist in Jenin and the arrest of another journalist who was released the following day.