During the past week, Gaza’s security forces prevented five people from travel, including people who were travelling to receive medical treatment and for education purposes.
The prevention was lacking in any legal grounds.
According to field investigations conducted by the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, at approximately 10:30 am on Monday, 5 November 2012, Gaza’s Internal Security Apparatus (ISA) prevented Mrs.
Amal Hamad, a member of Fatah Central Committee, from travel to Ramallah to attend a meeting for the Committee.
At approximately 7:40 am on Monday, 5 November 2012, Mrs.
Hamad arrived at the Erez crossing before she was kept by ISA for a short while.
At around 10:30 am on the same day, the ISA informed Mrs Hamad that she was ‘not allowed to travel due to a political decision’.
On the same day, the Ministry of Interior published a press release stating that “Mrs.
Amal Hamad, Fatah leader, was not prevented from travel”.
    At around 8:00 am on Sunday, 4 November 2012, the ISA banned Mr.
Jamal Sa’eed Obied, a member of Fatah Leadership Committee, from travel to Egypt to receive medical treatment.
At 1:30 pm on the same day, the ISA handed Mr.
Obied a summons to present himself at the Apparatus office in Jabaliya refugee camp at around 10:00 am on Thursday, 8 November 2012.
  In the same context, at 9:30 am on Wednesday 31 October 2012, the ISA prevented Saleem Yousif Al Briem, 34, member of Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate and a member of Federation of Arab Journalists, from travel via Rafah crossing.
He was questioned about his reasons for travel.
In his affidavit to Al Mezan, Al Breim stated that he is a MA student at the Arabic Researches and Studies Institute in Egypt.
He also provided documents which prove his claims.
The ISA ordered him to present himself at their office in Khan Younis.
When he went there the ISA interrogated him and ordered him to present himself at their Gaza office.
Although he complied, Al Briem was still not informed about the reasons behind his travel ban.
  At 9:00 am on Wednesday, 31 October 2012, the Apparatus prohibited Journalist Majed Shublaq and his wife Hanan Abu Dgheim from travel via the Rafah crossing.
The couple were on their way to attend a conference on “the relationship between media and civil society organizations” held in Cairo on Saturday 3 November 2012.
The ISA told them that they did not have a permission from the Government Information Office to attend the conference.
He was interrogated about the conference and later informed that he was banned from travel until the end of the conference unless he had a permission from the Government Information Office.
  Mr.
Ihab Al Ghusein, Chairman of Governmental Information Office, denied any involvement of his office with the ban.
Al Ghusein asserted that they flatly reject all assaults against journalists, their right to freedom of movement and other sorts of restrictions.
He also asserted that they are determined to defend all journalists without discrimination.
  The Al Mezan Center for Human Rights strongly condemns travel bans on journalists.
Al Mezan views this ban as violation of the freedom to movement and travel.
It also violates the Palestinian law which ensures the right of every Palestinian to travel without any restrictions except cases mentioned in Article 11 of the Palestinian Basic Law.
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