As Israeli violations escalate against Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), journalists and media professionals have also been the subjects of Israeli  attacks. Since the beginning of October 2015, Israel's excessive use of force led to the killing of at least 64 Palestinians and the injury of over seven thousand across the OPT and the within the Green Line.

Palestinian frustration over Israel’s occupation has reached a boiling point. Israel continues to dismiss its obligations as the Occupying Power and instead is escalating state and state-sanctioned violence against Palestinians.

This has resulted in an increase in the number of Palestinians killed, injured, arrested and subjected to collective punishment by the Israeli Occupying Forces and Israeli settlers in October 2015. 

On 20 October 2015, PHROC held an urgent meeting with representatives from the European Union (EU) and foreign missions to the Palestinian Authority. Ten foreign representatives, the EU representative, as well as representatives of international organisations attended the meeting which took place in the Al-Haq office in Ramallah.

Over the past few weeks, Israel's policy of collective punishment has spiralled, affecting Palestinians all over the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), particularly in Jerusalem. Among other measures, Israel has deepened its practice of fragmenting Palestine and isolating communities from one another. In Jerusalem, where approximately 300,000 Palestinians reside, Israeli authorities have cut off Palestinian neighbourhoods by way of cement blocks, checkpoints and barriers on streets. Within the walls of the Old City itself, Israeli police have set up a number of checkpoints and metal detectors in various neighbourhoods. In the backdrop, Jerusalem remains separated from the rest of the West Bank by the Annexation Wall.