Israeli Military Detains Palestinian Journalist Ali al-Samoudi in Jenin

The arrest has drawn condemnation from the Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate and concerns over press freedom in the region.

Israeli forces have arrested prominent Palestinian journalist Ali al-Samoudi during a raid on his son’s home in Jenin, sparking outcry from the Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate. Samoudi, who is well-known for his collaborations with Western media, was taken into custody early on Tuesday morning. The 58-year-old was reportedly interrogated for approximately 30 minutes at an undisclosed location before being transported to an Israeli hospital following a decline in his health, according to his son, Mohammed.

The Israeli military has accused Samoudi of being affiliated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organization and has suggested he is involved in funding activities related to it, although no evidence has been presented to substantiate these claims. Samoudi's family has vehemently denied these allegations, asserting that throughout his lengthy career, he has never faced such accusations. Furthermore, they have criticized Israeli authorities for withholding information about Samoudi’s medical treatment location.

Following his arrest, it is expected that Ali al-Samoudi will be presented before a military court next Tuesday. In parallel, the Israeli military announced it had executed a series of raids across the West Bank, leading to the detention of 24 individuals accused of transferring funds to terrorist groups, including three individuals from Jenin.

In a related note, Samoudi was working with Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Aqla in May 2022 when she was fatally shot by an Israeli sniper during a coverage assignment near the Jenin refugee camp, where he himself suffered injuries.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), since the onset of the current Gaza conflict in October 2023, Israeli forces have detained at least 79 journalists in the West Bank and Gaza, while Palestinian authorities have arrested five others. The toll on journalists has been severe, as the CPJ also reports that 176 journalists—predominantly Palestinian—have lost their lives during the ongoing violence in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel, and Lebanon.