Shurua Asad, the spokeswoman for the Palestinian Journalists' Union, denounced that Israel is holding 61 journalists in poor conditions.
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Among them, 15 were detained in the first eight months of 2023, and another 46 after the conflict with Hamas erupted. This means a significant increase in media employees detained by Israel since the outbreak of the war in October.
Most of the journalists are from occupied West Bank. They are held under "administrative detention," a system whereby Israel arrests Palestinians without formal charges or a trial date, leaving them uncertain about the duration of their imprisonment.
"Many have been arrested for things they said or content they posted on social media about Gaza," Asad said, adding that Israel is implementing a campaign of repression and increased pressure on Palestinian journalists.
"They are treated very brutally, with harsh and intense interrogations," she said, relying on the testimony of released Palestinians.
"One Palestinian reported that Israeli forces would constantly beat him, expose him outdoors without clothing, insult him, provide minimal food and water, and keep him isolated with no means to contact anyone, leaving his family unaware of his situation."
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), "journalists and media outlets across the region have faced a hostile environment, making reporting from the ground exceptionally challenging."
As of January 24, this U.S.-based NGO has documented 25 arrests, along with "numerous assaults, cyberattacks, and censorship." Nineteen of these journalists remained in custody. Furthermore, Israel joined the countries with the highest number of imprisoned journalists.
CPJ Director Joei Ginsburg pointed out that the inclusion of Israel in the 2023 list of imprisoned reporters "is evidence that a basic democratic norm like press freedom is fading as Israel employs draconian methods to silence Palestinian journalists."