Israeli occupation forces have arrested and expelled several Palestinian journalists from the Al-Aqsa Mosque area in a crackdown on press freedoms in Jerusalem. Among those detained was journalist Nawal Hijazi, who was seized at the Shufat military checkpoint and taken for interrogation to a police center in Nabi Yakub. After several hours, she was released under conditions that require her to appear for questioning if summoned again. Meanwhile, journalist Maysaa Abu Ghazaleh was given a six-month expulsion order from the mosque following her prior summons for investigation earlier this month.

The measures also extended to another journalist, Ibrahim Sanjlawi, who was arrested after forces entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque, but he too was later released under similar conditions, including a weekly expulsion from the site. The Palestinian governorate expressed serious concerns about these actions, calling for increased protection for journalists in Jerusalem and condemning the targeting of those working in the media.

The Palestinian Journalists' Union has spoken out against this targeting campaign, highlighting the detrimental impact it has on freedom of the press and calling for international efforts to safeguard journalist rights in the region. This situation underscores the ongoing tensions in Jerusalem and the challenges journalists face in reporting on events, with calls for accountability from international organizations for the treatment of media personnel under occupation.