Israel Detains 37 Palestinian Journalists Since Gaza War Began
The Palestinian Prisoners' Club reported on Sunday that 37 Palestinian journalists are currently held in Israeli prisons, with all arrests occurring since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023. The organization stated that Israel is systematically targeting Palestinian journalists through detention, harsh sentencing, solitary confinement, and prosecution based on their reporting and freedom of expression.
Among the recent detainees are journalists Moath Amarneh and Sabri Jibrin, arrested by the Israeli military on Thursday after their homes in Bethlehem were raided. Amarneh, according to the club, has been targeted repeatedly for his work and this marks his third arrest.
The club also highlighted the case of journalist and writer Mahmoud Fattata, who received a 48-month sentence for alleged incitement, described as one of the longest sentences for such charges. This reflects an escalating use of incitement charges against journalists, alongside administrative detention without trial, often citing secret evidence.
Currently, 19 journalists, representing 51% of the total detained journalists, are held under administrative detention from the West Bank, including Jerusalem. In a related development, journalist Bushra Al-Taweel, 33, was transferred from Damon Prison to solitary confinement in Ramla Prison.
The Palestinian Prisoners' Club asserts that Israel is intensifying repressive policies against female detainees, including starvation, denial of medical care, and poor detention conditions, exacerbated by the spread of scabies and lack of hygiene. Detained journalists face the same systemic abuses as other Palestinian prisoners, such as medical neglect, torture, and harsh confinement, in addition to isolation and denial of basic rights.
The club emphasized that targeting journalists is a deliberate policy to suppress the truth and control the Palestinian narrative. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate documented 84 violations against journalists in August alone, including the death of one journalist in prison and injuries to another. These violations encompass direct targeting of media crews, obstruction of work, detention, and damage to equipment.
The club urged international human rights bodies to uphold their responsibilities, protect Palestinian journalists, and halt Israeli policies targeting them.
