Beirut, October 26, 2026 – The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply alarmed by the violations committed against journalists during the raid by the Israel Defense Forces on the occupied West Bank city of Hebron. Incidents included wounding a journalist, briefly detaining reporters, firing tear gas at journalists, and targeting press gathering areas with lasers.
Israeli troops launched a major raid on Hebron on Friday, October 23, following an attack that killed two Israeli soldiers, imposing sweeping closures and restrictions on the area.
Two Hebron-based journalists, freelancer Musab Qafesha and head of Radio Fourth, Riad Khamiss, were detained by Israeli troops for several hours on Saturday. Qafesha was previously detained by Israeli forces in October 2023, and released a year later. During his imprisonment, he lost 45kg (22 pounds). He was previously detained in 2022 and 2021.
In at least one incident local journalist Sohaib Ewiwe filmed tear gas being fired at journalists covering the raid. Several journalists experienced severe suffocation from gas inhalation, and Qatari-owned broadcaster Al Jazeera cameraperson Louay Amro was struck in the hand by an Israeli rubber bullet, causing bruising.
Christine Rinawi, and Ali al-Diwani of Qatari network Al-Araby were obstructed by an Israeli settler near Hebron on Friday. The journalists reported that the individual hurled racist insults at them, and tried to interfere with their filming.
Israeli troops also raided the offices of Al-Ghad TV in Hebron on Saturday, with the channel accusing the army of turning it into military barracks. Two days later, on Monday, Israeli forces intercepted the channel’s news crew.
Israeli forces targeted Ewiwe and other journalists with sound grenades to prevent them from covering the evacuation of a ceramics factory ahead of its planned demolition by Israeli forces.
Soldiers were also seen using lasers against journalists, and on Monday Al-Araby TV journalist Fadi al-Assa showed an Israeli drone hovering over him and his colleagues as they worked.
Media reports also quoted anonymous Israeli army sources saying that Agence France-Presse photographer Hazem Bader had prior knowledge of the attack on Israeli troops in the West Bank. Israeli police denied the report, and the Foreign Press Association called the accusation “completely untrue”, and said the accusation “puts journalists working to keep the world informed at risk”.
Elsewhere in the West Bank near Jenin, Israeli settlers vandalized a memorial dedicated to Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian journalist killed by Israeli troops while covering a raid on the area in 2022.
The latest incidents follow a string of violations against Palestinian and foreign journalists in the West Bank, particularly during the olive harvest season, by the hands of both Israeli soldiers and settlers.
They also come ahead of Israel’s October 27 general election. Several foreign journalists have reportedly been barred from entering Israel to cover the elections due to their views or past reporting on the country, CPJ documented .
“Israeli forces are escalating their attacks on journalists across the West Bank, detaining reporters, firing tear gas at media covering their operations, and intercepting news crews, among other actions,” said Sara Qudah, CPJ Regional Director. “Israeli authorities must immediately end these attacks, and ensure journalists can report freely and safely. Continued international silence only emboldens perpetrators, and further endangers the press.”
In response to a CPJ request for comment, the Israeli military said that its forces fired “a single stun grenade” at demonstrators during part of their operations in Hebron that included “targeted searches to locate and seize weapons”.
“As a general rule, journalists, like other civilians, are protected individuals and must not be made targets during military activity,” the army added.
Editor’s note: This text has been updated in the first, fourth, fifth, and seventh paragraph to include additional incidents, as well as in the last paragraph to include the Israeli military’s response to CPJ’s request for comment.