On May 7, the Hamas government police forces violently dispersed a rally in protest of Israel’s attacks on Syria. The rally was organized by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) in Khan Younis, the Gaza Strip. Seven individuals were injured while five other journalists who were covering the rally were attacked, arrested and had their cameras confiscated. The five journalists were later released.

The Ministry of Interior’s media office in Gaza issued an official apology on its Facebook page for the “rough” police behavior on the demonstrators and journalists, pledging to open an investigation into the incident and punish those involved in the crackdown.

The Ministry of Interior’s spokesman Islam Shahwan, local news agencies reported, visited the site of the dispersed rally and to the police station where the journalists were detained and verbally apologized for what happened, saying the ministry is stepping up its investigation to ensure justice for the victims and freedom of journalism.

In addition, Ihab al-Ghussein, director of the Hamas-run government press office, condemned the police suppression of the rally and the attack against journalists covering the PFLP-organized rally. Ghussein stressed that the government in Gaza flatly rejects such behavior including the arrest of journalists while doing their work.