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| Hamas bans Palestinian journalists from Israeli media co-operation | Hamas bans Palestinian journalists from Israeli media co-operation |
| (12 days later) | |
| Hamas has banned Palestinian journalists in Gaza from working with or giving interviews to the Israeli media. | Hamas has banned Palestinian journalists in Gaza from working with or giving interviews to the Israeli media. |
| The order, issued this week, said: "The government has decided to bar co-operation or work with Zionist media due to its hostility. The prohibition applies to all Palestinian reporters and journalists." It has also instructed its own government officials not to give interviews to Israeli press or television. | The order, issued this week, said: "The government has decided to bar co-operation or work with Zionist media due to its hostility. The prohibition applies to all Palestinian reporters and journalists." It has also instructed its own government officials not to give interviews to Israeli press or television. |
| Since the Israeli government banned Israeli journalists from entering Gaza in 2006, citing security reasons, the Hebrew media has depended on local Palestinian or international journalists for reports from inside the enclave. | Since the Israeli government banned Israeli journalists from entering Gaza in 2006, citing security reasons, the Hebrew media has depended on local Palestinian or international journalists for reports from inside the enclave. |
| Matan Drori, the foreign news editor of Ma'ariv, which has had a Gaza-based Palestinian correspondent for more than five years, said Hamas's move was "very unfortunate". | Matan Drori, the foreign news editor of Ma'ariv, which has had a Gaza-based Palestinian correspondent for more than five years, said Hamas's move was "very unfortunate". |
| "It is important for Israelis to understand the motivations and behaviour of the other side, and perhaps also as a way of building bridges for the future. It will be a major loss not to have an authentic voice from inside Gaza," he said. | "It is important for Israelis to understand the motivations and behaviour of the other side, and perhaps also as a way of building bridges for the future. It will be a major loss not to have an authentic voice from inside Gaza," he said. |
| Drori said Ma'ariv would be forced to rely on Facebook and Twitter for reports from inside the enclave, with fewer ways of verifying information. | Drori said Ma'ariv would be forced to rely on Facebook and Twitter for reports from inside the enclave, with fewer ways of verifying information. |
| Sami Ajrami, who has been Ma'ariv's correspondent in Gaza for the past 18 months, and filed dispatches for the paper during last month's eight-day conflict, said he was disappointed by the ban. | Sami Ajrami, who has been Ma'ariv's correspondent in Gaza for the past 18 months, and filed dispatches for the paper during last month's eight-day conflict, said he was disappointed by the ban. |
| "The Israeli public should know what's happening in Gaza. This is not good for the Palestinian cause. But we are under the Hamas regime, and Hamas has been criticised a lot in the Israeli and international media, so they want to impose controls," he said. | "The Israeli public should know what's happening in Gaza. This is not good for the Palestinian cause. But we are under the Hamas regime, and Hamas has been criticised a lot in the Israeli and international media, so they want to impose controls," he said. |
| Ajrami said Hamas may extend the ban to the international media. "They will refuse entry permits to foreign journalists who are critical of Hamas." | Ajrami said Hamas may extend the ban to the international media. "They will refuse entry permits to foreign journalists who are critical of Hamas." |
| Abeer Ayyoub, a 25-year-old journalist who has written for the Israeli paper Haaretz and for the Guardian, called on the Hamas government in Gaza to reconsider its ban. | Abeer Ayyoub, a 25-year-old journalist who has written for the Israeli paper Haaretz and for the Guardian, called on the Hamas government in Gaza to reconsider its ban. |
| "There are two sides to the conflict, and both sides should be covered," Ayyoub said. "The Israeli media will have no one in Gaza writing about what is going on. I was speaking up for Gaza in the Israeli media. I was telling Israelis what life is like here." | "There are two sides to the conflict, and both sides should be covered," Ayyoub said. "The Israeli media will have no one in Gaza writing about what is going on. I was speaking up for Gaza in the Israeli media. I was telling Israelis what life is like here." |
| Amira Hass, an Israeli journalist for Haaretz who lived in Gaza for several years and now reports from the West Bank, said Hamas's real aim was "to control information that comes out of Gaza. This is not the end of the story. The next step will be to move against the foreign media." | Amira Hass, an Israeli journalist for Haaretz who lived in Gaza for several years and now reports from the West Bank, said Hamas's real aim was "to control information that comes out of Gaza. This is not the end of the story. The next step will be to move against the foreign media." |
| The government media office in Gaza did not respond to a request for comment. | The government media office in Gaza did not respond to a request for comment. |
| Hamas has cracked down on Palestinian journalists inside Gaza who have been critical of the de facto government. A report by Human Rights Watch last year said: "Journalists in the Gaza Strip have … faced arbitrary detention, assault, and other forms of harassment from the Hamas authorities." It gave examples of journalists being detained and assaulted by security forces, and media outlets being closed. | Hamas has cracked down on Palestinian journalists inside Gaza who have been critical of the de facto government. A report by Human Rights Watch last year said: "Journalists in the Gaza Strip have … faced arbitrary detention, assault, and other forms of harassment from the Hamas authorities." It gave examples of journalists being detained and assaulted by security forces, and media outlets being closed. |
| But the Islamic faction, which has run Gaza for more than five years, has so far allowed the international media to operate without restriction, other than the introduction last year of Hamas-issued permits to enter Gaza. | But the Islamic faction, which has run Gaza for more than five years, has so far allowed the international media to operate without restriction, other than the introduction last year of Hamas-issued permits to enter Gaza. |
| Meanwhile, Israel is to allow construction materials other than limited quantities for UN sponsored projects to enter Gaza from next week for the first time since 2007. Despite easing its blockade of the enclave two and a half years ago, it has continued to ban the import of almost all construction materials, such as cement and steel, saying they could be used for military purposes. | |
| Twenty truckloads of construction materials will be permitted to cross into Gaza from Sunday as part of the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire agreement that ended last month's conflict. | Twenty truckloads of construction materials will be permitted to cross into Gaza from Sunday as part of the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire agreement that ended last month's conflict. |
| • This article was amended on 7 January 2013. The original said that "Israel is to allow construction materials to enter Gaza from next week for the first time since 2007. To clarify: limited quantities of building materials, for UN sponsored projects, were allowed to enter Gaza during that time, as was made clear in the next sentence. |