Jerusalem: A Palestinian working for an Iranian television station was held for questioning by Israeli police for violating censorship rules.

Khadr Shahine, who reported for Iran's state-owned Arabic language Al-Alam television station, violated censorship rules when he reported the beginning of Israel's ground offensive against the Gaza Strip before it was permitted by military censors, Israeli authorities said.

"A guy who supplies information for Iranian television is being questioned by police for suspected censorship violation," said Daniel Seaman, the head of Israel's Government Press Office. "He is not only being questioned about a simple censorship violation, but whether or not he's doing it for other purposes."

Seaman added that Shahine was not an accredited journalist.

Shahine's lawyer, Mohammed Dakhleh, said his client was being held on suspicion of passing confidential information to unauthorized persons.

"This is a very harsh security offense," he said, adding that it was the first time it had been used against a journalist.

"The court decision, in my opinion, is influenced by the atmosphere in the country right now," he said.

Israel launched a sustained campaign against the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on December 27 to stop rockets from being fired into southern Israel. So far more than 600 Palestinians have died.

Dakhleh said he had heard police wanted to question Shahine and so his client turned himself yesterday.

Source : PTI