International community must pursue accountability for Palestinian journalists harmed in Israeli custody
Amman, February 19, 2026 — Palestinian journalists describe being systematically abused, beaten and starved in Israel prisons, according to a new report published by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
The report, ‘We returned from hell’: Palestinian journalists recount torture in Israeli prisons, documents allegations of systematic abuse of Palestinian journalists by their Israeli captors while detained by Israel between October 2023 to January 2026. Of the 59 journalists released by Israel during this period that CPJ interviewed, all but one reported being subjected to what they described as torture, abuse, or other forms of violence while in Israeli custody. CPJ also reviewed supporting evidence provided by the detainees, including photographs, medical reports, and legal documents.
“CPJ’s reporting shows a clear pattern in how Palestinian journalists were treated in Israeli custody,” said CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg. “The scale and consistency of these testimonies point to something far beyond isolated misconduct. When dozens of journalists independently describe physical and psychological abuse, the international community must take action. Humanitarian law sets unequivocal standards for the treatment of detainees and there needs to be meaningful accountability for failure to meet these standards.”
In their testimonies, journalists described beatings, some resulting in severe injuries, starvation, medical neglect, as well as sexual violence, including rape. Many also describe psychological threats, stress positions causing prolonged pain, and being subjected to prolonged exposure to high-volume sound, including continuous music.
CPJ documented the detention of at least 94 Palestinian journalists and one media worker during the period covered by the report: 32 journalists and one media worker from Gaza, 60 from the West Bank, and two in Israel. Thirty remain in custody, as of February 17, 2026.
More than 80 percent (48 of 58) of the Palestinian journalists interviewed were never charged with any crime and were held under Israel’s administrative detention system, which allows for an individual to be held without charge and can be renewed indefinitely. Journalists also reported not being allowed access to their lawyers, an experience broadly reflected by what other rights groups have reported. At least 21 said they were denied adequate legal representation, with 17 stating they were not allowed to speak to a lawyer at all.
“These are not isolated incidents,” said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. “Across dozens of cases, CPJ documented a recurring set of abuse – from beating to starvation, sexual violence, and medical neglect – directed at journalists because of their work. They expose a deliberate
strategy to intimidate and silence journalists, and destroy their ability to bear witness. The continued silence from the international community only enables this.”
CPJ documented 27 accounts of medical neglect often compounding injuries during beatings or interrogations and, in several cases, the complicity of health workers in violence against detainees. In addition to unsanitary living conditions and chronic food shortages, journalists reported wounds stitched without anaesthesia, untreated fractures and eye injuries, and the deliberate neglect of serious pre-existing and newly sustained health conditions.
Fifty-five of the 59 journalists interviewed reported extreme hunger or malnutrition. CPJ calculated an average weight loss of 23.5 kilograms (54 pounds) among the group by comparing journalists’ reported weight before and after detention. Photographs provided to CPJ as evidence show dramatic transformations, with journalists displaying gaunt faces, protruding ribs, and hollowed cheeks.
Two of the 59 Palestinian journalists also told CPJ they were raped in detention. Descriptions of sexual violence appeared repeatedly in the testimonies, with journalists describing assaults as intended to humiliate, terrorize, and permanently scar them.
At least 14 journalists told CPJ they were subjected to prolonged exposure to high-volume sound while in Israeli detention facilities, particularly at Sde Teiman, including continuous amplified music, resulting in sleep deprivation and sensory disorientation.
CPJ has called for Israel to allow independent international monitors, including UN special rapporteurs, access to detention facilities and for there to be transparent, impartial investigations into all allegations.
CPJ emailed Israel’s Ministry of National Security for comment but received no response. It sent multiple requests to the Israeli military’s press office seeking comment on specific allegations raised by journalists. 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.”
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About the Committee to Protect Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide. We defend the right of journalists to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal.
To interview a CPJ expert, please email [email protected].
CPJ interviewed 59 journalists and one media worker, starting from September 2024 to January 2026. CPJ tried to contact the remaining five released journalists, four refused to speak to CPJ and one was murdered before CPJ could interview him.
The research conducted by CPJ was based on qualitative and interviews and structured thematic analysis of detainee testimonies, and focused on conditions of arrest, detention, interrogation, and imprisonment as described by journalists who were released from detention.