RSF urge 'Israel' to release detained Palestinian journalists
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16 Palestinian journalists, detained after October 7, 2023, remain in custody.
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Israeli army troops temporarily detain Palestinian journalist Hesham Abu Shaqra, who was later released, in the West Bank town of Qusra, south of Nablus, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024 (AP)
Only three Palestinian journalists previously arrested by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip were released on October 13 under the current ceasefire agreement, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF). However, 16 others detained over the past two years in Gaza and the occupied West Bank remain in detention, RSF added, calling for their immediate and unconditional release.
The freed journalists — Alaa al-Sarraj, Emad Zakaria Badr al-Ifranj, and Shady Abu Sedo — were among 1,968 Palestinian prisoners released by "Israel" as part of the initial phase of the ceasefire deal, which included a prisoner-captive exchange between "Israel" and Hamas. The majority of those released were being held without charge, indictment, or trial.
“RSF demands the immediate and unconditional release of all Palestinian journalists arbitrarily detained by Israel. Neither the recently released journalists nor those still detained should ever have been abducted by Israeli forces,” said Martin Roux, head of the RSF Crisis Desk. He added that testimonies from the freed journalists describing mistreatment by prison authorities, if confirmed, amount to torture.
According to RSF figures, the number of Palestinian journalists arrested by "Israel" has sharply risen over the past two years amid the genocide in Gaza. Five were detained before October 7, 2023, and 20 more afterward. Among them was journalist Baha al-Ghoul, who was arrested in the Gaza Strip on November 16, 2023, and released from Ketziot–Al-Naqab prison on February 28, 2025.
Sixteen journalists detained after October 7, 2023, remain in custody. In total, 21 Palestinian media workers continue to be held by Israeli authorities.
'Israel' systematically targets journalists in Palestine
Throughout the war on Gaza, "Israel" has systematically targeted Palestinian journalists, killing more journalists than in both world wars combined.
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) stated in September that since the beginning of the war on Gaza, "Israel" has killed more than 270 Palestinian journalists in what the syndicate called futile attempts to bury the truth of its genocide.
Among those killed were Palestinian journalists Marwa Muslim, Mariam Abu Daqqa, and Islam Abed, not to mention the severe injuries, with cases leading to limb amputations and permanent paralysis.
PJS additionally reported that during August 2025 alone, "Israel" killed 15 journalists in Gaza, including three female reporters, in addition to committing 86 crimes against journalists in both the West Bank and Gaza
Associated Press investigation exposes Israeli crimes against journalists
The Associated Press conducted an extensive investigation published on September 6 into an Israeli military strike on August 25 against Gaza's Nasser Hospital that killed 22 people, including five journalists.
According to AP, Israeli forces stated they targeted what they claimed was a Hamas observation post on the hospital's external stairwell, and the military said they observed suspicious behavior involving a camera covered with a towel, which they interpreted as an attempt at concealment.
However, the Associated Press investigation revealed that the camera belonged to Reuters video journalist Hussam al-Masri, who was killed in the initial strike. AP gathered evidence showing that al-Masri routinely covered his equipment with a white cloth, a standard practice among journalists worldwide to protect cameras from the sun and dust.
The Associated Press found that Israeli forces struck a Gaza hospital four times without warning, using high-explosive tank shells instead of precise munitions. A second strike hit the same location ten minutes after the first, targeting those who had arrived to help, in a potential war crime known as a "double-tap" attack. Israeli officials could not provide a good explanation for the use of tank fire in this situation.
Following the strikes, "Israel" claimed to have killed six militants, but the AP investigation found significant discrepancies in this account.
The evidence showed that one named individual was not on the casualty list, another was a hospital healthcare worker, and a third was a driver for emergency responders, with no proof provided for the militant designations.
