Israeli soldiers arrested Palestinian journalist Tarek el-Sharif, the host of the call-in radio show “With the People” on the West Bank-based Raya FM station, on November 19, 2023. He was charged with incitement for his journalism. El-Sharif was released on September 19, 2024, after 10 months in detention.
Israeli soldiers raided el-Sharif’s home at dawn and arrested the journalist, according to the Palestinian press freedom group MADA, the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate, and the London-based news website The New Arab. His wife, Suha Tamim, also confirmed the arrest in an interview with CPJ.
Tala Nasir, a lawyer with Addameer, told CPJ that the journalist was charged with incitement. She said that the charge sheet, which was dated November 19, 2023, the day of his arrest, references two instances in which el-Sharif allegedly glorified “martyrs,” or people Israel alleges to be terrorists, on episodes of his show. According to Addameer, the charge usually carries a sentence of six months to two years.
After the October 2023 start of the Israel-Gaza war, el-Sharif provided daily updates, including reports on Israeli airstrikes on Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza and Palestinian casualties, including in attacks on Jabalia and Khan Yunis. During the program, he also took phone calls from people who wished to comment on a particular issue.
El-Sherif was on the list of the independent party the Voice of Al-Bireh for the 2022 local election in the town of Al-Bireh.
He was detained as part of the mass arrests Israeli forces conducted in the occupied West Bank in the wake of October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, prompting Israel to declare war on the militant group.
El-Sherif told CPJ after his release that he experienced physical abuse while in prison. “During my detention, I was subjected to beatings — using batons, hands, and sticks — by prison guards on approximately seven occasions,” he said. “Most of these incidents occurred during collective assaults, where guards would storm our cells and physically attack me and the other prisoners without provocation; in addition, I faced individual assaults while being escorted to meet with my lawyer."
He said that he lost 25 kilograms (55 pounds) during his detention due to the scarcity of available food and its lack of nutritional value.
Nasir told CPJ that an Addameer representative visited el-Sharif in Ofer Prison, outside Ramallah, and that he was allowed just 15 minutes of yard time every other day. Each week, he received a bottle of shampoo shared among prisoners to clean their bodies and clothes; to disinfect their cells, they used a cup of diluted chloride.
Regarding his trial proceedings, el-Sharif explained: "All the court hearings held were unjust. Specifically, in the context of the current war, the procedures have changed significantly: everyone involved — judges, prosecutors, and lawyers — is present inside the courtroom, while the prisoner himself remains outside, communicating solely via video link. Consequently, I was unable to speak effectively or hear all the details of the proceedings. I was escorted — while shackled — to a designated room to connect with the court, where I frequently encountered technical interference and audio distortions. The entire process was abnormal; I could not communicate adequately with my lawyer, and the hearings themselves would last for only a few minutes."
He said that the deputy director of the Israeli prison threatened him against speaking to the media, warning that he would otherwise be re-arrested.
El-Sherif was among the journalists whose testimony was included in the CPJ special report, “We returned from hell,” published in February 2026, which compiles accounts from 58 journalists who reported patterns of abuse, torture, and mistreatment against Palestinian journalists inside Israeli prisons.
The Israeli military did not respond to CPJ’s repeated requests for comment on specific allegations by journalists in the report, instead requesting ID numbers and geographic coordinates that CPJ does not collect or provide. When asked about allegations of physical and sexual abuse, starvation, and the investigation and accountability process, an army spokesperson said “individuals detained are treated in accordance with international law,” adding that the armed forces “have never, and will never, deliberately target journalists,” and that any violations of protocol “will be looked into.”
CPJ also emailed the Israel Prison Service (IPS) regarding the allegations in the report. In response, the IPS said “all prisoners are detained according to the law” and that “all basic rights are fully upheld by professionally trained prison guards.” The service said it was unaware of the claims described, and that to its knowledge “no such events have occurred,” but noted that “prisoners and detainees have the right to file a complaint that will be fully examined and addressed by official authorities.”
CPJ previously emailed the Israel Security Agency, also known as the Shin Bet, in late 2023 for comment on the cases of imprisoned Palestinian journalists but received no response.