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.