CPJ Demands Answers After Deaths of Journalist and Media Worker in Israeli Custody

April 13, 2026 – Palestine –

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on Israeli authorities to provide immediate and transparent explanations following the deaths of two Palestinian media professionals who died while in Israeli custody, renewing concerns over detainee treatment and accountability in cases involving journalists.

CPJ stated that journalists Ihab Diab and media worker Marwan Harzallah died under Israeli detention, and urged officials to return their bodies to their families without delay while launching independent and impartial investigations into the circumstances surrounding their deaths. The organisation warned that the cases reflect a broader pattern of opacity and lack of accountability in detention-related fatalities.

Diab, a photographer working with Ain Media, was arrested by Israeli forces in December 2023 during operations in northern Gaza. CPJ reports that for months, Israeli authorities did not confirm his detention, later acknowledging he had been held after a petition was submitted by his family. The military has alleged, without providing public evidence, that he was affiliated with Hamas, while declining to explain the circumstances of his death.

Harzallah, a technician with Palestine TV, was arrested in January 2026 in the occupied West Bank and held in administrative detention without charge. He died in March 2026 in Megiddo Prison, with Palestinian officials informing his family of the death. Relatives told CPJ that he had no known pre-existing medical conditions and raised concerns about possible mistreatment during detention.

Israeli prison authorities have said that any death in custody is reviewed through established procedures, but did not provide specific details in response to CPJ’s inquiries. CPJ, however, argued that past cases demonstrate a persistent lack of transparency and accountability in investigations involving Palestinian detainees.

The organisation also highlighted wider concerns about the treatment of detained journalists, including allegations of torture, medical neglect, and other abuses reported by released detainees in earlier CPJ documentation. It said such patterns raise urgent questions about compliance with international obligations protecting detainees and media workers.

CPJ has urged the United Nations and member states to press for independent international investigations, stressing that without accountability, impunity for deaths in custody risks further endangering journalists operating in conflict zones.

The case adds to growing scrutiny of the treatment of Palestinian journalists detained during the ongoing conflict, where rights groups continue to call for transparency, access to detainees, and independent oversight of detention practices.

Reference –

CPJ demands answers after deaths of journalist, media worker in Israeli custody