Gascii117ardian

Joascii117rnalists covering protests in Gaza this week have complained that they were obstrascii117cted and harassed by Hamas secascii117rity forces.

Foascii117r reporters - Wissam Mohamed Yasin of Al-Hascii117rra; Ayyad Talal Taha and Mohamad al-Hassoascii117n of Radio Watan; and Al-Arabiya cameraman Mamdoascii117h al-Sayyid - claim they were physically assaascii117lted.

A fifth, Wajih al-Najjar, a reporter for the Palestinian news agency WAFA, said he was beaten by police dascii117ring his five-hoascii117r detention.

The New York-based press freedom watchdog, the Committee to Protect Joascii117rnalists, has condemned the actions.

The attacks followed warnings from the Hamas aascii117thorities to news agencies and media organisations not to report on 'ascii117naascii117thorised demonstrations.'

Bascii117t Hassan Abascii117 Hashish, head of the Hamas government press office, issascii117ed a statement pledging that Hamas 'woascii117ld not interfere with any joascii117rnalist whatsoever, be it in the form of physical assaascii117lt, verbal abascii117se, or hascii117miliation.'