Palestinian security forces arrested five Palestinian journalists for allegedly “leaking sensitive information to hostile authorities.” All five work for media that is affiliated with the Islamist Hamas movement. Palestinian analysts speculated that he arrests were made to pressure Hamas to release Fouad Jaradah, a reporter in Gaza for Palestine TV, who was arrested in June and accused of collaborating with the Palestinian Authority. The Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights called the arrests in the West Bank a “dangerous development”, criticizing both the PA and Hamas. Another human rights group Al-Haq, based in Ramallah, called the arrests part of a “dangerous regression in the condition of rights and liberties in the West Bank and Gaza, especially freedom of opinion and expression and journalistic work.” It said that authorities block coverage of demonstrations. Other journalists say they are afraid to criticize PA leader Mahmoud Abbas.