As Gazans are trying to find the courage to stand up to Hamas and demand freedom and basic human rights Hamas is responding with more violence.
On Saturday a gathering of students in Gaza held a protest calling for unity between Hamas and rival Fatah. Uniformed and plain-clothes Hamas security officials forcefully broke up the small student rally, riding motorcycles into the crowd, beating people with cattle prods and firing into the air.
After roughing up demonstrators Hamas’ security forces stormed the offices of international news organizations. They raided the offices of CNN, Reuters and Japanese broadcaster NHK, all in the same building where international news operations are located. Journalists were beaten with iron rods and threatened to be thrown out the window. TV equipment and cameras were destroyed and video footage of the demonstration covered was confiscated.
This was actually the 2nd time Hamas attacked media teams in Gaza. Relating to a previous incident this week, Reporter without Borders claim Asma Al-Ghoul, the correspondent of the Skeyes Centre for Media and Cultural Freedom, was badly beaten and was held for five hours. Her colleague, Samah Ahmed was stabbed in the back and had to be taken to Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital for treatment. Akram Atallah, who writes for the West Bank daily Al-Ayyam, was so badly beaten that his left arm was broken.
Following the raid on Saturday, journalists held a sit-in to denounce Hamas’ treatment of media.
Hamas is a terrorist organization. Over the weekend Hamas fired 54 mortar shells at Israeli border communities within 15 minutes. Two Israeli civilians were lightly wounded by shrapnel and residents were advised to stay at home or in bomb shelters. This is more than a quarter of the amount of mortar shells shot over the last 12 months. Today, a Grad rocket exploded in the town of Ashkelon raising tension along the border even more.
Hamas treats Gazans and journalists with the same terrorist tactics it uses against Israeli civilians.
Take action now – contact the UN’s Human Rights Committee and demand Hamas’ be held accountable for its actions against reporters and Gazans.
All of us in Giyus.org call on Gazans to break free of Hamas and demand the freedom they deserve.
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