On August 12, 2024, Israeli security forces arrested Palestinian freelance journalist Hamza Zyoud at his home in the village of Silat al-Harithiya, six miles northwest of the West Bank city of Jenin, according to the Beirut-based regional press freedom group SKeyes and news reports.
Zyoud’s brother Ahmed was cited by SKeyes as saying that Israeli forces broke down the door of the family home, searched the house, and questioned Zyoud before handcuffing him and taking him away.
Local Palestinian journalist Mujahed al-Sa’adi, who was later arrested, told CPJ via messaging app on August 12 that Zyoud studies journalism at the Jenin-based Arab American University and works as a freelance journalist and camera operator for several media outlets, including BBC Arabic and Saudi-based Al-Arabiya. Zyoud also holds a press card, which CPJ has reviewed, issued by the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate and identifying him as a freelancer.
Zyoud was initially held under administrative detention at the Huwwara detention center, near the West Bank city of Nablus. His brother Ahmad Zyoud told CPJ on October 31, 2024, that Israeli authorities had moved him to Megiddo prison, in northern Israel. Under administrative detention procedures, authorities may hold detainees for six months without charge if they suspect the detainee of planning to commit a future offense, and then extend the detention an unlimited number of times, according to the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem. Judges may accept evidence against the detainee without disclosing it on security grounds.
CPJ was unable to determine the status of Zyoud’s health in custody.
Zyoud was arrested in the course of the Israel’s military operations in the region, which began after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. Israel has killed scores of journalists in Gaza as well as six in Lebanon, jailed dozens of Palestinian journalists from the West Bank and Gaza, and destroyed much of the press infrastructure in Gaza, all while preventing the foreign press from entering Gaza.
CPJ emailed the Israel Defense Forces, Israel’s Security Agency, also known as the Shin Bet, and the Israeli Prison Service in late 2024 for comment on the cases of imprisoned Palestinian journalists but received no response.