Veteran Palestinian journalist Dr. Nasser al-Lahham was arrested early Monday during a violent Israeli raid on his home in al-Duha village, west of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. At 58, Lahham brings over 30 years of reporting experience from Palestine. He is the editor-in-chief of Ma’an News Agency and directs Al-Mayadeen TV’s office in Palestine.
Al-Mayadeen condemned the pre-dawn raid as “brutal and repressive.” Israeli soldiers reportedly stormed Lahham’s residence, ransacked it, destroyed personal belongings, and confiscated computers and mobile phones before detaining him.
The network accused Israeli forces of spreading chaos and vandalizing Lahham’s home without respect for privacy. Al-Mayadeen demanded his immediate release, calling out the occupation’s ongoing hostility toward journalists and press freedom.
The Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs confirmed that Israeli authorities extended Lahham’s detention and referred him to Ofer Military Court until Thursday. The commission said Lahham’s arrest is part of a broader policy targeting Palestinian journalists, frequently through administrative detention — a controversial practice allowing indefinite detention without charge or trial based on undisclosed evidence.
Currently, 22 of the 55 Palestinian journalists imprisoned are held under administrative detention, many without formal charges. Often, accusations involve social media activities labeled as “incitement.” Detained journalists reportedly endure abuse including torture, beatings, starvation, medical neglect, and degrading treatment.
According to Arab48, over 10,400 Palestinians are detained in Israeli prisons, including 47 women, 440 children, and thousands held as administrative detainees or “unlawful combatants.” Since October 7, 2023, prison conditions have worsened dramatically, causing dozens of prisoner deaths.
Israeli violations against journalists have sharply escalated since the recent conflict began, with Palestinian media workers disproportionately targeted. At least 228 journalists and media personnel have been killed in Gaza. Israel has also banned Al Jazeera from reporting in Israel and the West Bank and barred international media from entering Gaza.
