50 violations against journalists and media crews during September 2026

Ramallah - Ofoq News - During the month of September 2026, the Freedoms Committee of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate monitored a series of violations against journalists, media workers and press crews by the Israeli occupation regime, which included arrest, detention, prevention of press coverage, summons, investigation, judicial prosecution, confiscation, and threats with weapons, in addition to physical attacks and destruction of equipment and vehicles.

According to the monitoring and documentation of the Freedoms Committee, the total number of violations documented during the month reached 50 violations, distributed as follows:

9 arrests.

22 cases of detention and prevention from work.

Two cases of confiscation.

11 cases presented to a court.

Two cases of summons and investigation.

Two cases of weapon threats.

Case of fatal injury.

Case of broken equipment.

Documented facts show that the violations targeted journalists, photographers, correspondents, and media producers, and press crews were also targeted while carrying out their field work and covering events in a number of Palestinian areas.

Arrests, sentences and administrative detention

The month of September witnessed a series of arrests of journalists in the West Bank, including journalist Sameh Nazih Darwaza, who was arrested at a checkpoint near the town of Ain Sinya, northeast of Ramallah, and his journalistic work equipment was confiscated before he was released hours later.

Voice of Palestine radio journalist Rami Nofal was also arrested from his home in the town of Idna, west of Hebron, and was released the next day after being beaten and interrogated. Photojournalist Shadi Hatem was arrested at a checkpoint near the town of Ain Sinya.

Photojournalist Moaz Amarneh was also arrested from his home in the Dheisheh camp, south of Bethlehem, and transferred to administrative detention for four months. Journalist Sabri Jibril was also arrested from his home in the town of Tuqu’, southeast of Bethlehem, and in turn was transferred to administrative detention for four months.

The occupation forces arrested journalist Alaa Al-Rimawi from his home in the city of Ramallah, and confiscated his mobile phone, before transferring him to administrative detention for four months.

On September 24, the administrative detention against journalist Mohamed Mona was renewed for a period of six months, the third consecutive renewal, according to documented data.

Journalist and political analyst Rasem Obeidat was also arrested from his home in the town of Jabal Mukaber, east of Jerusalem, and was transferred to administrative detention for six months.

In the context of judicial prosecutions, on September 8, the Israeli Military Court sentenced journalist Dr. Mahmoud Fatafta to four years in prison on charges of incitement, noting that he has been detained since May 30, 2024.

Preventing coverage and detaining press crews

During the month, there were repeated cases of preventing journalists and media crews from accessing and covering events.

On September 1, press crews were prevented from covering the attacks on the lands of the towns of Ya`bad and Arraba and the uprooting of olive trees. Among the journalists who were prevented from covering it were the correspondent of Al-Balad Radio, Amr Manasra, and the correspondent of the Palestinian News Agency. On September 5, the occupation forces prevented press crews from covering the weekly settlers’ march in the Old City of Hebron, and removed them from the site. Journalists were repeatedly prevented from covering on September 16, during the demolition of a house in the “Khallet Al-Humus” area, south of the city of Hebron, where press crews were prevented from reaching the site.

On September 19, the occupation forces prevented press crews from covering the weekly settlers’ march in the Old City of Hebron, and removed them from the site.

Assaults, threats and injuries

On September 2, a group of settlers destroyed the vehicle of Jordanian TV correspondent Raji Al-Khatib while he was reporting near the village of Al-Mughayir, northeast of Ramallah.

On September 6, journalist producer Ali Hajjaj was moderately injured in the neck and foot while covering the bombing by Israeli F16 warplanes on a house west of Gaza City.

On September 29, occupation soldiers attacked the Al-Araby TV crew, consisting of reporter Amid Shehadeh and photographer Rabih Al-Munir, while they were covering the storming of the town of Beitunia, west of Ramallah. According to the documentation, the soldiers threatened to shoot the journalists by pointing weapons in their faces, before expelling them from the place.

Summons, investigations, and procedures against journalists

On September 15, the occupation forces arrested the journalist working for the “TRT Arabi” channel, Naqaa Hamed, while she was passing through a military checkpoint near the town of Tuqu’, east of Bethlehem, before releasing her on bail amounting to 8,000 shekels on September 28.

On September 20, the Israeli occupation police summoned journalist Salwa Abu Libdeh to the “Al-Qashla” investigation center in the Old City of Jerusalem, and interrogated her regarding posts they described as inflammatory on social media sites, before informing her of the decision to deport her from Al-Aqsa Mosque for six months.

Indications of expanding restrictions on journalistic work

The facts documented by the Freedoms Committee of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate during September indicate multiple forms of violations against journalists, including arrest, administrative detention, prevention from coverage, detention, confiscation, summons and investigation, threats with weapons, and physical and material attacks.

The number of cases of detention and prevention of journalists and media crews from working reached 22 cases, which is the highest in the monthly classification of documented violations, followed by 11 cases of being brought before a court and 9 cases of arrest, in addition to cases of confiscation, injury, destruction of equipment, summons, investigation, and threats with weapons.