Hamas security forces attack journalists in Gaza

Hamas security forces attacked three journalists covering a mass wedding in Gaza City on Thursday, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate said Friday. Security forces beat the reporters in a nearby playground, it said. The journalists were covering a mass wedding of 500 couples, funded by a charitable organization and in coordination with Hamas. Local media identified the journalists as Muhammad Masharawi, a reporter for Sky News, and Adnan al-Barsh of the BBC. Another journalist, Amer Abu Omar, was assaulted in the incident, witnesses said. In a statement, the Ministry of Interior in the Gaza Strip condemned the attack and pledged to open an investigation and punish the assailants. Attacks against journalists by the Palestinian security services have occurred more frequently over the past year, says Mada, a Palestinian media rights group based in Ramallah. The group says an increase in violations has been spurred on by the continuing split between the Hamas and Fatah regimes which control the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank.