Palestinians protest Israeli restrictions on journos

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Dozens of protesters suffered temporary asphyxiation from teargas canisters fired by Israeli forces during a rally in support of Palestinian journalists in the occupied West Bank on Saturday.

Israeli soldiers used to disperse the protest, which was staged at the Qalandia checkpoint north of East Jerusalem, according to an Anadolu Agency reporter in the area.

A number of journalists were reportedly injured during the protest.

Saturday’s protest came amid rising Israeli restrictions against Palestinian journalists in the occupied territories.

According to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, an NGO, Israeli authorities are increasingly restricting the movement of Palestinian journalists in an attempt to prevent them from doing their work.

The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA), for its part, estimates that Israeli forces had carried out 833 attacks against media groups and personnel in the West Bank and Gaza Strip since 2016.

Meanwhile, three Palestinians were injured by Israeli live ammunition during a protest in the West Bank town of Urif, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent (PRC).

Dozens of protesters also suffered asphyxiation from fired by Israeli forces during the rally, the PRC said.