ICHR says Hamas forces attacked its Gaza staff
Graphic: Executive Director Ammar Dweik on a television interview
The ICHR said Hamas was trying to silence the human rights body and others who have been monitoring public protests in Gaza.
The Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) has told WAFA News Agency that Hamas forces brutally attacked some of its Gaza-based staff members as they were monitoring the Hamas response to public protests.
ICHR Executive Director Ammar Dweik said that Hamas forces attacked and severely beat the director of its Gaza branch, Jamil Sarhan, and its attorney, Baker Turkman, and seized the mobile phones they were using to record events.
Dweik said Hamas wants to silence the ICHR and other rights groups who have been monitoring the protests in Gaza over the rising consumer prices and tax hikes.
"We are deeply alarmed and shocked by the way our staff in Gaza were treated," he told Palestine TV.
Dweik said that this was the first time in the 25 years since the ICHR was established that its staff had been treated in such a manner.
However, the situation facing protestors in the street is even worse, he added.
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate has also condemned Hamas attack on journalists and said that reporters covering the protests were attacked in the streets and at their homes and their equipment was seized.
It said Hamas had acted brutally toward the protesters and journalists, causing many injuries.
Medical sources said over 70 people were treated in Gaza hospitals since yesterday of beating by Hamas militias and that some of them were later removed and taken away from hospitals by the militias.
Date: 16 March 2019
Image credits
- Executive Director Ammar Dweik on a television interview - ICHR