Palestinian Prisoner Society Says 37 Palestinian Journalists Held in Israeli Prisons
The nongovernmental organization said all 37 journalists had been detained since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023. It said Palestinian journalists had faced arrests, prison sentences, solitary confinement and prosecution in connection with their work.
Two Journalists Among Recent Detainees
Among those recently detained are journalists Muath Ammarna and Sabri Jibrin, who were arrested Thursday after Israeli forces raided their homes in Bethlehem, in the southern occupied West Bank, according to the organization.
The society said Ammarna had previously been detained twice in connection with his journalistic activities and was now being held for a third time.
Journalist Sentenced on Incitement Charge
The organization also cited the case of journalist and writer Mahmoud Fatafta, who was sentenced to 48 months in prison on charges that Israeli authorities described as “incitement.”
The society said the sentence was among the longest imposed on journalists in such cases.
According to the organization, Israeli authorities have increasingly used incitement charges against Palestinian journalists and have also relied on administrative detention based on information contained in what authorities describe as confidential or “secret” files.
Administrative Detention in the West Bank
The society said 19 journalists from the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, were currently being held under administrative detention, representing 51% of the Palestinian journalists it identified as detained.
Administrative detention allows Israeli authorities to hold individuals without filing criminal charges or conducting a trial, under a procedure Israel says is used in security-related cases.
Concerns Over Treatment of Female Prisoners
The society also raised concerns about the treatment of journalist Bushra al-Tawil, 33, who it said had been transferred from Damon Prison in northern Israel to solitary confinement at Ramla Prison in central Israel.
The organization alleged that Palestinian female prisoners were facing restrictive conditions, including prolonged isolation, inadequate food, limited access to medical care and poor sanitation.
It said detained journalists were subject to conditions similar to those reported for other Palestinian prisoners, including alleged hunger, medical neglect, abuse, solitary confinement and restrictions on basic rights.
Broader Risks Facing Palestinian Journalists
The society also said Palestinian journalists had been killed, forcibly disappeared or attacked while carrying out their work. It described these incidents as part of a broader effort to restrict Palestinian journalism and documentation of alleged violations.
The occupied West Bank has experienced frequent Israeli military raids and violence since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023. Palestinian authorities and rights organizations have reported killings, arrests, demolitions, attacks on homes and vehicles, restrictions on agricultural activity, displacement and settlement expansion during this period.
Israel says its military operations are aimed at addressing security threats.
More Than 25,000 West Bank Detentions Reported
On Thursday, the Palestinian Prisoner Society said Israeli forces had detained more than 100 Palestinians in the West Bank during the preceding week.
The organization estimated that more than 25,000 Palestinians had been detained in the West Bank since October 2023, in addition to Palestinians detained from Gaza.
The figures and allegations cited in the report were attributed to the Palestinian Prisoner Society. Independent verification of the organization's total figure of 37 detained journalists was not provided in the statement.
Source:AA
