On September 5, 2024, Israeli security forces arrested Palestinian journalist Ali Dar Ali, a reporter for the Palestinian Authority–funded Palestine TV, from his home in the village of Burham, located 12 kilometers (8 miles) north of Ramallah. News of his arrest was reported by WAFA, the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate, and confirmed to CPJ by Hassan Abo al-Rub, the manager of Palestine TV’s West Bank office.
Dar Ali’s lawyer, Khaled al-A’araj, told CPJ that the journalist was being held in Ofer Prison on allegations of incitement related to posts on social media. Dar Ali rejected all of the accusations presented against him.
On October 6, 2024, an Israeli court released Dar Ali after he paid 20,000 shekels (approximately US$5,300) in bail, pending a court hearing.
CPJ routinely contacts the Israel Defense Forces' North America Media Desk about its arrests of journalists. In one 2024 response the IDF said it detains ‘individuals suspected of involvement in terrorist activity,' but has either provided no evidence or unsubstantiated evidence to CPJ to support these suspicions. CPJ has also contacted the Israeli Prison Service, the Palestinian General Intelligence Service, and Shin Bet about Palestinian journalists arrested in the West Bank but did not receive any replies.