Israeli Journalist, Settlers Ambush, Threaten Al Mayadeen's Reporter

By Al Mayadeen English

6 Nov 2023 12:31

Hanaa Mahameed, Al Mayadeen's correspondent in occupied Al-Quds, is facing a renewed campaign of incitement amid personal and direct threats against her.

Al Mayadeen's correspondent in occupied Al-Quds, Hanaa Mahameed, is facing a renewed campaign of incitement amid personal and direct threats against her.

In a related development, the Israeli Channel 12 correspondent and a group of extremist settlers ambushed our colleague Mahameed and harassed her in a thug-like manner. 

Mahameed recounted the incident to Al Mayadeen, confirming that she was pursued by a group of journalists and settlers who went as far as preventing her from using her vehicle and making explicit threats against her after luring her into receiving a postal envelope, after which she was ambushed.

She also emphasized that this attack is part of a systematic Israeli policy aimed at intimidating and silencing every Palestinian, highlighting the Israeli establishment's efforts to suppress any narrative that opposes its own.

Our correspondent also noted that since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, she has been the target of an Israeli campaign of incitement on various levels.

She also confirmed that Israeli media behave as if they are a military force fully endorsing their narrative without accurately representing the real events on the ground. Mahameed added that the Israeli media have reached a significant level of degradation, reflecting the absence of values within this entity.

Meanwhile, our correspondent emphasized that she operates within the legal boundaries of journalism and media as part of Al Mayadeen Network and solely pursues her journalistic mission, affirming that she has only practiced her profession in areas permitted by the Israeli authorities.

She refuted all claims made by the Israeli occupation about the impartiality of journalistic missions, stating, "We have adhered to what has been permitted by the Israeli authorities."

She explained that when our mission exposes the crimes of the occupation, we are pursued, and there are many restrictions on journalists in Palestine.

On its account, Al Mayadeen affirmed its solidarity with colleague Hanaa Mahameed in occupied al-Quds and the full adherence of the network to her rights and the necessity of her protection.

Not an isolated incident 

The director of Al Mayadeen's bureau in occupied Palestine, Nasser al-Laham, confirmed that Israeli occupation forces assaulted his wife and children after storming his house in Beit Lahm, in the southern occupied West Bank, on October 31.

At the time, the occupation arrested al-Laham's two sons, Bassel and Bassil, later releasing Bassil and insisting on confiscating Bassel's phone. 

Al-Laham emphasized that his children are experiencing what all the Palestinian youths in the West Bank are experiencing, noting that he felt hesitant to discuss what happened with his family considering the mass suffering of fellow Palestinians in Gaza.

On November 1, Israeli occupation forces surrounded the home of Fatah Revolutionary Council member, Jamal Huwail, in Jenin, after he appeared as a guest on Al Mayadeen TV.

Huwail was forced to withdraw from a live episode with Al Mayadeen after he received a threatening call from Israeli intelligence while on air.

This comes as part of a total crackdown on Palestinian and foreign journalists in occupied Palestine, especially as Israeli Communications Minister Karhi advocated for rules that would grant him the authority to instruct the police to apprehend civilians, relocate them from their residences, or confiscate their assets when he deems that they have disseminated information that might negatively affect the "nation's spirit or be employed as a foundation for adversary propaganda."

On October 20, "Israel" passed regulations permitting the temporary suspension of foreign news channels during the war on Gaza. 

It is worth noting that the toll on Palestinian journalists amid relentless Israeli airstrikes on Gaza has surged, with a tragic count of 46 killed since the 7th of October, as per the Government Media Office in Gaza.