February 15, 2024, 1:45pm
The Israeli army has raided and destroyed two publishing houses in the West Bank.
The IDF has attacked and destroyed two Palestinian publishing houses in the occupied West Bank. pic.twitter.com/wAlxVSGcDZ
— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) February 15, 2024
This latest raid in Ramallah is one of a series of major raids launched by the Israeli military across much of the territory over the last two days. At least 12 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank since Wednesday.
As detailed by Publishers for Palestine earlier today, IDF raids on Palestinian publishing houses are nothing new. Seven Palestinian publishing houses were raided or destroyed over a six-month period in 2016-2017, and eleven more were targeted in a seven-month period in 2021:
These are just a few examples, a single aspect of Israel’s long practice of stifling freedom of expression and freedom of the press in order to extinguish Palestinian life.
In response to the news, PEN International issued the following statement:
We are deeply concerned about reports of attacks on publishing houses in the West Bank. Freedom of expression is fundamental to democracy and must be protected. PEN International stands in solidarity with those affected and calls for immediate action to safeguard press freedom.
Since the start of 2023, at least 550 Palestinians have been killed and more than 13,000 injured by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank.
By July 3 of last year, 2023 had already surpassed 2022 as the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since the UN began recording in 2005.
The United Nations has recorded more than 516 settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank since October 7.
Since October 7, Israel has accelerated demolitions of Palestinian homes in the West Bank, in what human rights campaigners are calling collective punishment.
Israeli security forces have killed more than 100 children in the West Bank since October 7.