RAMALLAH: The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) has released a report alleging that Israeli forces committed 467 violations against Palestinian journalists and media workers in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip during the first half of 2026, including the killing of eight journalists.
The findings were presented on Monday in Ramallah by Mohammed al-Lahham, head of the syndicate’s Freedoms Committee, during a news conference on media freedoms in the occupied Palestinian territories.
According to the report, the documented incidents occurred between January and June 2026. The syndicate said more than 41% of the reported violations involved preventing journalists from covering events or detaining media crews, with 192 such cases recorded during the six-month period.
The report also alleged 27 arrests of journalists, 29 incidents involving live ammunition, 78 cases involving tear gas or stun grenades, 14 physical assaults, two gunshot injuries, and 16 incidents involving threats with weapons. It further claimed that journalists were denied access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on 19 occasions and that media equipment was confiscated or damaged in 22 cases.
The syndicate said Israeli forces also carried out raids on seven homes and media organizations, shut down three media institutions, and blocked five websites. February recorded the highest number of alleged violations, followed by January and June.
According to the PJS, the latest figures bring the total number of Palestinian journalists killed since October 2023 to 264. The organization also claimed that more than 4,100 alleged violations against journalists have been documented over the same period, including arrests, the destruction of media institutions and damage to journalists’ homes.
PJS President Nasser Abu Bakr said the organization is continuing to pursue legal action through international institutions. He said evidence has been submitted to international bodies, including the International Criminal Court (ICC), and that a French journalists’ union plans to file a case in French courts concerning alleged crimes against media workers.
Israel had not immediately responded to the report’s latest allegations. Israeli authorities have previously stated that the military does not deliberately target journalists and that operations are directed against armed groups operating within conflict zones.
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