Ramallah: The Palestinian Prisoner's Society (PPS) has reported that approximately 40 Palestinian journalists, including five women, are currently being detained in Israeli prisons. This follows the recent arrest of journalist Mohammad Awad from Ramallah.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the PPS has documented that over 250 Palestinian journalists have been arrested or detained since the onset of the Gaza war. This figure includes those still in detention and others who have been released. Additionally, three journalists remain under house arrest. The organization describes these actions as part of a systematic campaign targeting Palestinian media professionals.
The PPS has highlighted the alarming number of over 260 Palestinian journalists killed since the war began, including two who perished in Israeli custody. The whereabouts of journalists Nidal al-Wahidi and Haitham Abdul Wahid remain unknown as they continue to be forcibly disappeared.
The society accuses Israeli authorities of escalating their targeting of Palestinian journalists through systematic arrests, daily attacks during their professional duties, and lethal actions in the Gaza Strip. They characterize the current period as one of the deadliest for journalists, accusing the measures of being efforts to suppress the Palestinian narrative and hinder the dissemination of truth.
The PPS also reports that in the occupied West Bank, Israeli authorities employ administrative detention against journalists, holding 19 without charges under the pretext of a "secret file." Journalists face accusations of "incitement" for exercising their freedom of opinion and expression. Social media platforms are reportedly being used to further monitor and control journalists' activities.
Moreover, the society outlines the range of abuses Palestinian journalists endure, including starvation, medical neglect, torture, sexual assault, and harsh detention conditions. The PPS calls upon the international human rights community to take action against what it describes as systemic inaction that has overshadowed humanitarian efforts since the war began.
The society emphasizes the necessity of protecting journalists and their crucial role in documenting violations against the Palestinian people. It asserts that the systematic targeting of Palestinian journalists, including killing, arrest, torture, and enforced disappearance, is part of a policy intended to suppress the truth and restrict the Palestinian narrative.