Palestinian journalist union says three Gaza-based reporters attacked by Hamas operatives

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, a non-governmental body affiliated with the Palestinian Authority, condemns an incident in which three Gaza-based journalists were attacked by operatives from Hamas’s “Sahm” unit — which is responsible for enforcing law and order in the Gaza Strip, and the Hamas police investigations department.

According to the statement, the journalists — Khaled Shaat, who works for the Shaat News Agency and Jordan’s Al-Hayat Radio; Mohammed Salama, a photographer for Al Jazeera; and Abdullah Al-Attar, a correspondent for Turkey’s Anadolu Agency — were assaulted by Hamas operatives at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis while on duty.

“Assaulting journalists and preventing them from carrying out their duties is reprehensible and unacceptable behavior,” the organization says.

“The syndicate also emphasizes the necessity of facilitating the sacred mission undertaken by journalists to convey the truth and defend their people’s cause, particularly in light of the repeated targeting they face from the Israeli occupation,” the statement adds, calling for an “urgent and transparent investigation into the incident” and for the perpetrators of the attack to be held to account.

The statement is accompanied by an image of one of the journalists sporting visible injuries to his arm.