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Hamas Imposes a Media Blackout Throughout Gaza Strip

The decision to forbid local reporters in Gaza from working for Israeli media outlets will only deepen the sense of estrangement and alienation between Israelis and Palestinians, writes Shlomi Eldar.
Wheelchair-bound Palestinian freelance photographer Moamen Qreiqea takes pictures of his daughter outside his home in Gaza City October 1, 2012. Qreiqea, 25, lost both his legs in an Israeli air strike in 2008 while taking pictures east of Gaza. The father of two is determined to continue his career despite his disability. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem (GAZA - Tags: MEDIA SOCIETY)
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The most irritating thing about the Hamas government’s decision to ban Palestinian journalists in Gaza from working for Israeli media outlets is what the decision implies: The journalists have been turned into collaborators, at least from the perspective of the Palestinian public.

They’re called “stringers” in the professional jargon. In fact, they are professional journalists who work part-time reporting from “the inside” for some external media outlet. What they most frequently provide is first-person coverage about events taking place around them. They have proven themselves to be indispensable, especially in situations when there is no possibility of outside journalists entering the region, just as it is the case in Gaza. In those circumstances, they become the lone voice able to tell the real story of what is happening there.

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