On July 1, 2026, Israeli forces arrested Palestinian journalist Hasan Mahmud Abd al-Jawad al-Fararjeh, 72, after raiding his home in Dheisheh refugee camp, south of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, according to his son, Ghassan Abd al-Jawad, and the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate.
Ghassan Abd al-Jawad told CPJ that Israeli forces arrested his father around 1 a.m. and took him to the Etzion Detention Center before transferring him to Ofer Prison.
Abd al-Jawad works as a correspondent for the Palestinian daily newspaper Al-Ayyam. He is a member of the administrative council of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate and a former member of their general secretariat.
His family told CPJ they are concerned about his health, saying that Abd al-Jawad suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure, raising fears for his safety while in detention.
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned Abd al-Jawad’s arrest, describing it as an attack on press freedom and an attempt to intimidate journalists and prevent them from carrying out their work. The union highlighted Abd al-Jawad decades of work covering Palestinian issues, warning that his advanced age and chronic health conditions leave him highly vulnerable in detention.
The syndicate called for Abd al-Jawad’s immediate release, along with all detained journalists, and held Israeli authorities fully responsible for his safety.
On June 8, 2026, an Israeli court ordered the release of Abd al-Jawad on bail for 2,000 shekels (US$666).
CPJ emailed the Israel Defense Forces International Press Desk for comment, and was asked to provide Hasan’s identification number, information the organization does not disclose.