Israel has detained seven P.A. residents employed by foreign news agencies on suspicion of terrorist activity. The detainees were not officially registered as journalists by the Israel Government Press Office (GPO), but they did posses GPO identification passes allowing them to have access to \"press only\" areas. One of those taken into custody was affiliated with Reuters, and another was with Agence France-Presse (AFP).
\"Journalists Without Borders\" and other journalists\'-rights organizations have demanded that the detainees be released. GPO Director Daniel Seaman told Arutz-7\'s Josh Hasten today that the profession of these individuals is not the issue. \"What is important,\" he said, \"is that these seven Palestinians are suspected of being involved in terrorism against Israel. Their claim that they were journalists is irrelevant.\" Seaman added that since the beginning of the year, the GPO has refused to grant press passes to PA journalists for fear they would use their privileges to aid the PLO\'s propaganda efforts.
\"Journalists Without Borders\" and other journalists\'-rights organizations have demanded that the detainees be released. GPO Director Daniel Seaman told Arutz-7\'s Josh Hasten today that the profession of these individuals is not the issue. \"What is important,\" he said, \"is that these seven Palestinians are suspected of being involved in terrorism against Israel. Their claim that they were journalists is irrelevant.\" Seaman added that since the beginning of the year, the GPO has refused to grant press passes to PA journalists for fear they would use their privileges to aid the PLO\'s propaganda efforts.