About 50 Palestinian journalists Monday appealed in an urgent letter to the United Nations High Commissioner in the Palestinian Territories to provide "personal and professional protection for journalists" during a protest in front of his office in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

"The journalists sent a letter to the United Nations High Commissioner in the Palestinian Territories, James Henin, with a special and urgent appeal to take the necessary measures to provide them with personal and professional protection," said journalist Naila Khalil, who participated in the protest.

Khalil explained that this matter comes "in light of the violations that the Palestinian arena witnessed during the past two days of violations of the freedom of the press."

More than one journalist announced that they were attacked by "Palestinian security men in civilian clothes" during the demonstrations in Ramallah and other Palestinian cities in protest against the death of political activist Nizar Banat during his arrest by the Palestinian security services at dawn on Thursday.

Banat's family said that he was "politically assassinated."

Several videos were published showing female journalists being directly attacked by "security men in civilian clothes," while covering demonstrations in the past four days.

For his part, Muhammad Ghafari, a correspondent with the Ultra Palestine website, confirmed that he was "threatened with the confiscation his cell phone if he continued filming."

The head of the Independent Commission for Human Rights, Ammar Dweik, said in a press conference, "There has been a deliberate targeting of journalists during the past three days in the Palestinian territories, and a special targeting of female journalists, in terms of assault or kidnapping of cameras or communication devices."

Dweik expressed his concern and said, "This is a very worrying thing, especially the lack of police intervention for protection, which prevents journalists from playing their role."

Dweik called for the need to provide protection for journalists, especially female journalists, and to hold accountable all those who assaulted male and female journalists and to return the confiscated equipment.

In a statement Sunday, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate demanded "to stop covering the news of the Palestinian presidency and government until the demands of journalists are met, and to dismiss the police chief because of the lack of protection for journalists."

Nizar Banat, 43, was one of the most vocal critics of the Palestinian Authority and its president, Abbas, on social media.

About two months ago, he announced that his house had been shot at by unknown assailants.

He was also a candidate for the Legislative Council in the elections that were supposed to take place in May for the independent "Freedom and Dignity" list, but it was postponed.