Amman, October 29, 2026 — The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the detention of Russian-Israeli journalist Andrey Khrzhanovskiy, known professionally as Andrey X, and U.S. journalist Jasper Nathaniel by Israeli forces near Umm Al-Khair, in the occupied West Bank. The arrests followed a violent assault by Israeli settlers against the two reporters and fellow freelance journalist Adele Shoko.
A series of videos and photographs show Israeli settlers attacking Khrzhanovskiy. Shoko reported that settlers beat Khrzhanovskiy, causing him to lose consciousness multiple times, before stealing his phone. The attackers also pepper-sprayed Nathaniel, and took Shoko’s eye glasses. Shoko posted that settlers blocked an ambulance from evacuating Khrzhanovskiy.
Attorney Alon Sapir told CPJ that Khrzhanovskiy and Nathaniel are still in police custody in Kiryat 4 station in Hebron. As of publication, authorities have not disclosed the specific legal authority or circumstances surrounding their holding, or the duration of their detention.
Sapir confirmed that the two journalists were assaulted yesterday and that Khrzhanovskiy was struck on the head and required medical attention. Shoko claims that they were denied medical treatment for the sustained injuries.
Video footage and eyewitness testimonies confirm that Khrzhanovskiy and Nathaniel were detained by Israeli police following their arrival to the scene.
“Israeli authorities can’t claim to protect public safety while detaining journalists who have been attacked in the course of their work and failing to hold those responsible for the violence accountable,” said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. “Keeping journalists in custody without clearly disclosing the legal grounds for their detention, while they may still need medical care, compounds the harm and sends a dangerous message that those documenting settler violence can themselves become targets of the authorities.”
Khrzhanovskiy was briefly detained last week and released after an investigation while filming in Benyamin, in the occupied West Bank. He said that he is facing unsubstantiated charges of “supporting a terrorist organization.”
These attacks follow a string of similar incidents affecting local and foreign journalists in the area, including assaults by the Israel Defense Forces on journalists covering a military raid in Hebron, and the deportation of a Portuguese journalist.
In September this year, CPJ documented an increase in intensity of settler attacks against journalists in the West Bank. In 2026 alone, CPJ has reviewed at least 16 incidents involving at least 35 local, and international journalists that involved physical attacks, harassment, obstruction, and intimidation of members of the press, the latest incident involving U.S. photojournalist Heidi Levine.
CPJ reached out via email to the spokesperson for the Israeli police seeking clarification on the legal grounds, conditions, and whereabouts of the two journalists. No response has been received as of the time of publication.