Palestinian Journalist Detained by Israeli Forces

November 21, 2025 – Palestine – 

Local media in the occupied West Bank report that Israeli forces detained Palestinian journalist Hisham Abu Shaqra and his wife, Sundus Shakani, while they were passing through the town of Huwara, south of Nablus, on the afternoon of 21 November 2025. The couple was stopped at a checkpoint, detained for more than two hours, after which Abu Shaqra was held while his wife was released without explanation. The authorities offered no details on the grounds for his continued detention.

The incident has raised concerns among press-freedom advocates, who view the arrest as part of a broader pattern of intimidation and operational interference targeting journalists in the region. Journalists in the West Bank and Gaza Strip face heightened risks, including arrest, harassment, accreditation barriers, and severe operational limitations.

Abu Shaqra’s detention without public justification or a given timeframe illustrates the precarious situation for media practitioners working under military occupation and amid ongoing conflict. The lack of transparent due-process mechanisms or formal charges underscores the vulnerabilities faced by journalists reporting in these conditions.

Advocacy groups warn that such actions create a chilling climate for independent journalism at a time when reliable information from the occupied territories is of heightened importance. They call on the Israeli authorities to immediately clarify the legal basis for the detention, guarantee the journalist’s access to legal counsel, and respect international norms of press freedom and the protection of media workers.

The incident comes amid a broader backdrop of escalating tensions between Israeli forces and Palestinian civilians, with repeated reports of detentions, property seizures, and restrictions on movement and reporting. Observers argue that silencing or intimidating journalists significantly undermines the public’s right to know and hampers accountability in situations of persistent conflict and occupation.

Reference – 

https://imemc.org/article/including-a-journalist-israeli-forces-abduct-8-in-the-west-bank/

https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/164598