Targeting of Journalists During “Operation Summer Camps”

During “Operation Summer Camps,” journalists were targeted multiple times by Israeli forces, raising serious concerns about the safety of media professionals in conflict zones.

Ongoing Military Operation: • Israel has been conducting a large-scale military operation across the occupied West Bank for the sixth consecutive day, resulting in the deaths of at least 30 Palestinians. • As part of this operation, Israeli occupation forces invaded Kafr Dan village, west of Jenin, where they cordoned off and demolished a house. During the raid, they killed a 16-year-old Palestinian girl and fired live ammunition at journalists, injuring a reporter and a photojournalist.

Journalists Injured in Kafr Dan: • Ayman Nubani and Mohammad Mansour, photojournalists working for the WAFA Agency, were injured in Kafr Dan after being directly targeted by Israeli gunfire. The two journalists were traveling in a car near Jenin when Israeli forces opened fire on them. They were attempting to reach an area in the village where Israeli forces had besieged a house for several hours.

• Ayman Nubani, who was injured by fragments, recounted, "We miraculously survived death... If we didn’t drive quickly, they would have killed us all," as reported by female journalist Shuruq As'ad, Director of the Palestine Journalism Hub and MCD Radio Correspondent in Palestine.

• Wafa photographer Ayman Al-Nubani told The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate that Israeli forces “directly targeted” seven journalists with live fire, journalists who were riding in three press vehicles and wearing press protection vests “We narrowly escaped death,” Al-Nubani explained. “If we hadn’t sped up a bit in our car, they would have killed us. It was a direct assassination attempt.”

• The photographer said he and his colleagues – Wafa photographer Mohammed Mansour, Raneen Sawafta with the Reuters news agency and freelance journalist Yazan Hamayel – were injured during the incident. Another reported name of injured journalist during the raid is Mujahid Al-Saadi.

• Journalist Raneen Sawafta, a cameraman, was injured by an Israeli bullet, and three of his colleagues were injured by fragments during the raid in Kafr Dan, Jenin. • Al-Nubani added: “Ambulances arrived immediately, and we were transferred to Ibn Sina Governmental Hospital in Jenin, but [Israeli] forces intercepted us and obstructed the ambulances, … surrounding the hospital [and] subjecting us to an investigation while we were injured.” • The incident has caused widespread outrage and concern among media professionals and human rights advocates worldwide.

Additional Incident: • Jaraah Khalaf, one of the injured journalists, reported that he and other reporters were covering an Israeli siege on a house in Kafr Dan, near Jenin, when they came under direct Israeli fire. Khalaf emphasized that all journalists were clearly identified, wearing vests labeled with "PRESS" in English, and their vehicles also carried the same insignia. According to witnesses, Israeli army forces raided the town early Tuesday, besieging a house and demanding its occupants surrender via loudspeakers. The house was subsequently demolished by Israeli military bulldozers, with the Health Ministry reporting that a child and another Palestinian were injured during the raid.

Wider Targeting of Journalists:

• According to live footage, Israeli soldiers used machine guns, bulldozers, and grenades to target journalists in various locations, including Jenin, Nablus, and Kafr Dan. • On September more than 5 journalists, including Jarah Kalaf, a freelance Journalist, were injured by Israeli army fire in the West Bank. • An Israeli soldier opened fire at Palestinian journalists whilst they were covering the invasion of the occupation forces in Thenaba neighborhood in Tulkarm city. • On 3 September, The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate says Israeli forces are targeting journalists with live bullets in the town of Kfar Dan, west of Jenin, in the occupied West Bank, reports the Wafa news agency.

Medical Response:

• The Red Crescent reported that several Palestinian journalists were injured on Tuesday by Israeli military fire in Kafr Dan. • While two of the injured journalists were treated on the spot by company doctors, the other two were taken to the hospital for further treatment.

Tulkarm or Tulkarem (Arabic: طولكرم, Ṭūlkarm) is a Palestinian city in the West Bank, the capital of the Tulkarm Governorate of the State of Palestine

• 1967: Tulkarm came under Israeli occupation following the Six-Day War.
• 1982: Israeli Civil Administration took control of Tulkarm from the military government.
• 1995: After the Oslo Accords, control of Tulkarm was transferred to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) on December 10, becoming the third city from which Israeli forces withdrew. Early 2000s: During the Second Intifada, Israel temporarily reoccupied Tulkarm. 2005: Israeli military administration ended, and control of Tulkarm was returned to the PNA, which imposed new weapons restrictions on militants. October 19, 2023: The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) re-entered Tulkarm. Israel carries out very frequent raids there and the agricultural lands are subject to frequent attacks by settlers and soldiers. Since August 28, 2024, Israel has launched a large-scale offensive on various cities in the northern West Bank, called "Operation Summer Camp"

What is Israel Doing to Palestinians in Tulkarm?

Frequent Israeli Raids:

Tulkarm, a city and refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, faces near-daily Israeli raids . Israel claims these operations target militants, particularly from Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades. However, these raids involve significant destruction of civilian infrastructure.

Destruction of Homes and Infrastructure:

During the raids, Israeli forces deploy bulldozers to destroy large residential areas, schools, and hospitals. Homes are set on fire, and Israeli troops reportedly prevent local relief workers from extinguishing these blazes.

Collective Punishment Tactics:

This destruction aims to collectively punish the population, according to experts, in response to pockets of armed resistance against the Israeli occupation. Following the Activist Shadi Abdullah, who documents Israeli abuses, Israeli forces used to

• demolish homes
• intentionally cut off basic necessities such as water and electricity.
• Israeli soldiers cooperate with illegal settlers to attack civilians, adding to the fear and hardship faced by Palestinians in Tulkarm.

Civilian Impact:

Civilians in Tulkarm are constantly at risk from both Israeli forces and settlers, as the city lies between several Israeli settlements. The destruction of residential areas forces Palestinians into overcrowded, remaining safe zones, further increasing the already high population density due to previous displacements.

Strategic Importance of Tulkarm:

Tulkarm holds strategic value for its fertile agricultural land and access to natural water resources. However, the illegal Israeli settlements have appropriated much of this land, forcing Palestinian farmers to rely on expensive tanker water and rainwater collection systems.

Role of Drones and Heavy Weaponry:

• Drones play a key role in Israeli raids, providing air cover and targeting Palestinian fighters. Israel has used drones extensively in other West Bank cities like Jenin and Nur Shams, where they killed several Palestinians in July, Augustus and September, since the beginning of "Operation Summer Camp"

• Israel’s use of drones, bulldozers, and heavy military equipment is part of a broader strategy to instill fear in younger generations and suppress armed resistance. However, this tactic has not succeeded in demoralizing the civilian population, who continue to support the resistance movement as part of the broader struggle against Israeli occupation.