Palestinian Journalist Held in Israeli Detention at Risk of Imminent Death, Press Groups Warn

January 05, 2026 – Palestine – 

Palestinian journalist Ali al-Samoudi is reported to be at grave risk of imminent death while held in Israeli custody under administrative detention, according to appeals from the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate and official Palestinian media. Samoudi, a 59-year-old reporter for Al-Quds newspaper and a veteran journalist, has been detained since an Israeli military raid on his home in Jenin in April 2025, and his detention has been repeatedly extended without formal charges or a fair trial. Rights groups say his case typifies broader patterns of repression against Palestinian journalists.

The syndicate’s urgent statement details a dramatic deterioration in Samoudi’s health after many months in detention at Megiddo Prison, where conditions are described as overcrowded and negligent. Reports indicate he has lost approximately 40 kilograms of body weight since his arrest and now suffers from multiple severe medical conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, chronic headaches, urinary tract infection, scabies, and other ailments that have gone untreated. The syndicate condemned the alleged medical neglect and degrading treatment, contending that prolonging his detention under such conditions could be tantamount to torture or arbitrary denial of care under international law.

Israeli authorities have employed administrative detention — a practice that allows individuals to be held without charge or trial — to extend Samoudi’s confinement for the third consecutive term, drawing severe criticism from press freedom organisations. The syndicate argues this practice is used systematically to silence Palestinian media voices and obstruct independent reporting, and that Samoudi’s case illustrates a dangerous policy that has targeted journalists for their work rather than prosecutable offenses. His lawyers and supporting groups have appealed for urgent international attention and intervention to secure his release, ensure he receives medical care, and challenge the broader detention policies affecting Palestinian journalists.

The situation unfolds against the backdrop of a wider clampdown on Palestinian press workers: Palestinian journalists have been subject to arbitrary seizure, physical abuse, and repeated administrative detention throughout 2025, with local unions reporting 42 such detentions — including multiple journalists held without charge — and continued escalation in punitive measures against media professionals covering conflict and occupation-related events.

Reference – 

https://www.alquds.com/en/posts/223965

https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/165872

https://www.newarab.com/news/palestinian-journalist-risk-imminent-death-israeli-jail