(PatriotWise.com)- According to the Associated Press, foreign journalists reporting in Gaza were initially told by Hamas that they could not report on the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s misfired rockets during last week’s attacks. However, after pushback from the press, Hamas later revoked the order.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad fired 1,100 rockets into Israel over a three-day period last week. About 200 of those rockets misfired, landing within the Gaza Strip and killing Palestinians, including children.
According to the Foreign Press Association, reporters were given a blanket order to blame Israel for the PIJ attacks.
However, after discussions between the reporters and the terror group, the orders were revoked.
The Foreign Press Association said in a statement to the Associated Press that the orders “constituted a severe, unacceptable, and unjustifiable restriction on the freedom of the press” and the safety of reporters in Gaza.
To enter Gaza, Hamas requires journalists to obtain a local sponsor. These sponsors, usually a translator, fixer, or local reporter, were warned by Hamas that they must “defend the Palestinian narrative and reject the foreigner’s bias” toward Israel.
The revoked orders would have required sponsors to inform Hamas of “any suspicious behavior or illogical questions” on the part of foreign journalists. In addition to linking to their reporters’ published articles, the sponsors would have had to submit a report detailing what foreign journalists did while in Gaza.
The director of the Hamas-affiliated media office, Salam Marouf, confirmed that the orders were revoked. He said foreign reporters and foreign media outlets are welcome in Gaza and he urged them to come.
According to the Israeli Defense Forces, more Palestinians were killed by misfired PIJ rockets than were killed in Israeli strikes.
In one incident, seven Palestinians, including four children, were killed when a PIJ rocket hit a house in Gaza. Initially, Palestinian media claimed the house was hit by an Israeli strike. But video later released by the IDF confirmed the house was struck by a rocket.
