ISRAEL DETAINS 12 PALESTINIAN JOURNALISTS

Israel Detains Palestinian Journalists (Photo : MEMO) — **Israel Detains Palestinian Journalists** (Photo : MEMO)

Gaza, 13 Dzulqadah 1435/8 September 2014 (MINA) – Israeli security forces have detained twelve Palestinian journalists, a human rights organisation specialising in prisoners’ affairs has claimed. The Palestine Prisoners’ Centre for Studies made the claim in a statement on Saturday.

Turkey’s Anadolu news agency said that the statement denounced the arrests. The detention of journalists, it added, is an attempt to cover up Israel’s “crimes” and to block media coverage of the difficulties and suffering endured by the Palestinians, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

The centre called on international media organisations and journalists’ unions to intervene with the Israeli authorities to get their Palestinian colleagues released.

Anadolu said that it was not possible to obtain an immediate response from the Israeli authorities about the accusations.

According to a report issued by the Palestinian Ministry of Prisoners’ Affairs in August, almost seven thousand Palestinian prisoners are being held in Israeli prisons.

Around 85 per cent of them are from the West Bank and just under 10 per cent are from Jerusalem; 5.7 per cent are from the Gaza Strip. (T/P002/P3)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)