Israel killed eight Palestinian journalists and committed 467 violations against media workers in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip in the first half of 2026, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) announced on 20 July.

The findings were presented by Mohammed al-Lahham, head of the syndicate's Freedoms Committee, at a news conference in Ramallah, who said the report documented "467 crimes and violations" committed by the Israeli army and occupiers against media workers between January and June.

More than 41 percent of the violations, 192 cases, involved blocking coverage or detaining press crews, which Lahham said reflected "a systematic policy aimed at obscuring the media landscape in the occupied Palestinian territories."

The report also recorded 27 arrests, 29 incidents of live fire targeting journalists, 78 cases involving tear gas or stun grenades, and two gunshot injuries.

Syndicate chief Nasser Abu Bakr said the organization was pursuing legal action against Israel before international bodies, and urged the International Criminal Court to accelerate its investigations into "crimes" committed against Palestinian journalists.

"The targeting of journalists is not a series of isolated incidents, but part of an aggression targeting the right to knowledge and the transmission of truth," he said.

https://t.me/thecradlemedia/64661