As part of an ongoing arrest campaign targeting Palestinian journalists, Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested the journalist and photographer Ahmed al-Khatib from his home in the town of Beitunia, west of Ramallah in the West Bank, at dawn Wednesday.
The detainee’s brother, Musab al-Khatib, confirmed that IOF troops raided the house during the pre-dawn meal (suhoor) and arrested Ahmed without presenting any judicial warrant.
Ahmed, a former prisoner, had previously spent nearly two years in Israeli prisons, most of which were held under administrative detention, without clear charges.
The Israeli occupation has arrested 168 Palestinian journalists since October 7, 2023. Although some were released after hours of detention, 51 journalists remain in prison.
This ongoing targeting of journalists confirms the Israeli attempt to silence and prevent the transmission of the Palestinian narrative. This constitutes a flagrant violation of freedom of the press, guaranteed by international law, most notably Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees everyone the right to “hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information by any means.”
Administrative detention is one of the most prominent violations faced by Palestinian journalists. Administrative detention is a form of detention without charge or trial, and is periodically extended based on a “secret file” that the Israeli authorities claim would harm their security. 3,405 administrative detainees are currently held in Israeli jails, including many journalists.
The arrest of Ahmed al-Khatib is just the latest episode in a long series of violations, calling for urgent international and human rights action to ensure the protection of journalists.
