Palestinian Reporters Banned, Detained at Al-Aqsa During Ramadan Media Watchdog Alarms

November 04, 2025 – Palestine – 

A thorough investigation by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reveals a troubling surge in restrictions placed on Palestinian journalists by Israeli authorities at the Al‑Aqsa Mosque compound during the 2025 Ramadan period. According to CPJ data, at least ten Palestinian media workers were issued exclusion orders barring them from entering the holy site, with some subjected to arrest, equipment confiscation, or indefinite bans ranging up to several months.

Journalists interviewed by CPJ report being summoned to police stations under vague pretences of “threat to public order” or “undermining security,” only to be handed bans without formal charges, hearings, or transparent evidence. One veteran journalist told CPJ he had worked for more than a decade and belonged to recognised press syndicates, yet was still told he presented a risk simply by being present.

The pattern is striking: frequent bans early in Ramadan followed by periodic renewals or extensions, often with no clear legal recourse for the journalists involved. One camera operator said his gear was confiscated and his ban extended from one week to one month because his footage might “incite unrest.”

Press freedom advocates warn that the strategy appears to function both as a censorship tool and a deterrent mechanism. According to CPJ’s analysis, the bans often coincide with moments of heightened public interest—for example, during Friday prayers or visits by political figures—and target Arab-Palestinian journalists disproportionately, which suggests the enforcement is selective rather than universal.

CPJ is calling on Israeli authorities to end the practice of issuing press bans without due process, to disclose the legal basis for exclusion orders, and to revoke restrictions imposed without charge. They also urge that journalists currently banned be reinstated to full access to Al-Aqsa without prejudice, and that international stakeholders press for transparent media protections in Jerusalem’s contested spaces.

Reference – 

Palestinian journalists targeted with Ramadan bans, arrests at Al-Aqsa holy site