Gaza: Prisoner and human rights institutions revealed on Sunday that over nearly three years of ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people, Israel has intensified systematic targeting of journalists as part of a broader policy aimed at silencing the Palestinian voice and erasing its narrative.
According to Palestine news and Information Agency - WAFA, the report issued on World Press Freedom Day by the Commission of Detainees Affairs, the Palestinian Prisoners' Society, and the Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights outlined the severe measures taken against journalists. These measures include direct killings, arbitrary detentions, systematic harassment, and threats, marking one of the most lethal periods in the history of Palestinian journalism.
The institutions reported that since the start of the conflict, more than 260 journalists have been killed, and over 240 have been detained, with more than 40 still in custody. Among those detained, 20 journalists are held under administrative detention without charges or trial on the basis of 'secret files,' including four women journalists. The report highlighted the case of recent detainee Islam Amarneh from Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem, noting her detention as part of the continued targeting pattern.
Additionally, the report detailed that at least 14 journalists from Gaza remain detained, while two others, Nidal al-Wahidi and Haitham Abdel Wahed, are forcibly disappeared, constituting a grave violation of international law. It also cited the death of journalist Marwan Harzallah in March 2026 inside Megiddo prison, attributing his death to medical neglect despite his known health condition.
The institutions emphasized cases of forced house arrest and systematic bans on journalists in Jerusalem, particularly around Al-Aqsa Mosque. These include forced removal, reporting bans, harassment, and intimidation, all indicative of a long-standing policy against the Palestinian narrative which has intensified during the ongoing war due to journalists' pivotal role in documenting and exposing events globally.
The report documented testimonies from detained journalists who described a systematic campaign of torture inside Israeli prisons and detention centers, including physical and psychological abuse, starvation, sexual violence, humiliation, denial of medical care, and harsh detention conditions, such as isolation and denial of Red Cross visits. It also highlighted the deteriorating health conditions of released journalists, including Majed Bani Muflih and Ali al-Sammoudi, who suffered severe health issues following their detention.
The institutions stressed that targeting journalists through killing, detention, or enforced disappearance violates international human rights law, including Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as protections under the Geneva Conventions. They warned that such acts might constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute when executed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against civilians.