The Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate has voiced strong criticism over the detention of a prominent journalist by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.
Ali al-Samoudi, a veteran journalist known for his collaborations with international media outlets, was arrested early Tuesday during a raid on his son’s residence in the northern city of Jenin.
According to his son Mohammed, the 58-year-old was held for questioning for approximately 30 minutes at an undisclosed location before being moved to an Israeli hospital after his health reportedly deteriorated.
Israeli military authorities stated that Samoudi was “affiliated with the [Palestinian] Islamic Jihad terrorist organisation” and is “suspected of transferring funds” to the group, though no evidence was publicly provided.
Samoudi’s family firmly denied the allegations, emphasizing that he had never faced such accusations during his extensive career.
They also said Israeli officials have not disclosed the name of the hospital where he is being treated, nor provided further details about his condition.
Samoudi is expected to appear before a military court next Tuesday.
Separately, the Israeli military reported Tuesday that security operations across the West Bank resulted in the arrest of 24 individuals “involved in transferring funds to terrorist organisations,” including three detainees from Jenin.
In May 2022, Samoudi was present alongside Shireen Abu Aqla, a Palestinian-American Al Jazeera correspondent, when she was fatally shot by an Israeli sniper at the entrance to Jenin refugee camp. Samoudi sustained gunshot wounds to his back during the incident.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports that since the Gaza conflict escalated in October 2023, Israeli forces have arrested at least 79 journalists in the West Bank and Gaza, while Palestinian authorities have detained five.
Additionally, CPJ notes that 176 journalists—almost all Palestinian—have been killed in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel, and Lebanon since the onset of the conflict.
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