The Israeli occupation forces at predawn time Wednesday shut down and ransacked the headquarters of Palestinian media production companies, citing incitement reasons, during raids in Ramallah, Nablus, al-Khalil, and Bethlehem, in the West Bank.

The Israeli army stormed the headquarters of TransMedia, PalMedia, and Ramsat news agencies in al-Khalil, Ramallah, Nablus, and Bethlehem, before they seized their equipment. The army shut down the offices of TransMedia and PalMedia for six months under a military order.

The occupation soldiers had rolled into Nablus at the crack of dawn in over 30 military vehicles and ransacked the offices of PalMedia and TransMedia before they sealed them off with red wax and metal plates.

At the same time, violent clashes burst out in al-Shuhadaa Square, where the Israeli forces attacked Palestinian protesters with heavy spates of bullet fire and teargas canisters. A Palestinian youth sustained bullet injuries and dozens more choked on teargas.

Coordinator of al-Quds TV Channel in Nablus, Nawaf al-Amer, said the Israeli soldiers closed the office of PalMedia Company in Nablus and misappropriated its production equipment.

Clashes erupted with the army in the aftermath of the raid in Nablus, during which several Palestinians were reportedly injured, medical sources said.

The forces left posters stating that “incitement” was the reason for the six-month closures of the headquarters and offices of the targeted media production companies.

Israeli authorities have long restricted Palestinian freedom of expression through censoring social media activity and imprisoning journalists, activists, and bloggers.

(Source / 18.10.2017)