News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) A female Arab journalist claimed that Hamas policemen confiscated her passport after she was accused of being dressed immodestly and laughing in public at a Gaza beach. “They accused me of laughing loudly while swimming with my friends and failing to wear a hijab,” Asma al-Gul told the Dubai-based Al Arabiya news network. Since the incident, al-Gul is afraid to leave home.

According to local journalists, Hamas has refrained from admitting that they have a special modesty patrol, which consists of plain clothes officers. Hamas spokesman Islam Shahwan told the Jerusalem Post that the Ministry for Waqf Affairs requested that policemen patrol the beaches. He said that the policemen are to maintain order and prevent harassment. “We are there for the safety of the people. We operate there to prevent men from harassing women. We’ve received many complaints about these negative practices,” he said. In addition, the spokesman said that a woman who wants to dress as she wishes should “go to a private swimming pool and not to a public place.”