New
Hamas Bureau to Perform
Surveillance on Foreign Journalists
(IFM) Hamas
has recently taken steps to begin the surveillance of foreign
journalists operating in the Gaza Strip. Hamas has
established a special bureau for this purpose. The bureau will
be headed by Major Raad Wasim Jaber, a senior officer in Hamas’
internal security apparatus.
In its first step towards monitoring the movement of journalists,
the bureau has reportedly notified all the press offices in
the Gaza Strip that they must report the arrival of every foreign
journalist in Gaza. Furthermore, the bureau requires all foreign
journalists who arrive in the Gaza Strip to fill out forms
stating the purpose and duration of their visit, the type of
work they do and the events they wish to cover.
More ominously, the bureau is also preparing personal files
on all foreign journalists located in Israel and in the West
Bank to facilitate the monitoring of their work.
The report of Hamas’ surveillance of the international press
was made by a Palestinian source, specifically the Palestinian
Press Office headed by a member of Fatah, Hasan Asfur, who
is also a former Palestinian minister.