Palestinian journalist freed by Israel, banned from working for two months

A Palestinian journalist with a Hamas-linked television channel has been released from Israeli custody but banned from working for two months, his family said Friday.

Alaa Rimawi, director of Al-Quds TV network in the West Bank, was freed Wednesday after being detained in late July along with three other journalists, his wife said.

Israel accuses the channel, affiliated with Hamas which controls the Gaza Strip, of inciting violence.

He was released but banned from returning to work for at least two months and from speaking to the media, his wife said.

The other journalists arrested in night-time raids on their West Bank homes by the Israeli army have already been released.

There was no immediate reaction from the Israeli army.

Israel's Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman last month signed an order declaring the Lebanon-based satellite channel Al-Quds a terrorist organisation.

Israeli authorities have carried out a series of raids against Palestinian media organisations it accuses of incitement, drawing criticism from press freedom advocates.

In April, Reporters Without Borders accused Israel of deliberately targeting reporters in the besieged Gaza Strip after Yasser Murtaja, a journalist with the Gaza-based Ain Media was killed by an Israeli sniper whilst covering mass protests on the Gaza border crossing with Israel.