On December 16, 2023, Israeli forces arrested Palestinian freelance journalist Hatem Hamdan, 24. Hamdan had been contributing reporting and commentary to several broadcasters since the start of the war. It was his third detention.
In September 2023, Palestinian intelligence agents arrested him and questioned him for four days in Al-Bireh, central West Bank, according to press freedom group MADA. He was arrested for the first time in October 2022.
Hamdan told CPJ that Israeli soldiers beat him severely then transported him to Ofer Prison in a small, dark compartment inside the prisoner transport vehicle, with freezing air conditioning and loud Hebrew music playing, while his hands and feet remained shackled.
Hamdan reported that upon arrival at Ofer Prison, he was punched and beaten with rubber batons before being interrogated. He said he suffered repeated rounds of mistreatment, including being forced to wear soaking wet clothing in cold weather, being denied a mattress and blankets, and being stripped naked twice.
He told CPJ that the Israeli authorities repeatedly extended his administrative detention. He appeared before judges via video conference. He was only able to see his lawyer briefly during court sessions. During his detention, he lost approximately 15 kilograms due to poor diet and insufficient food. After eight months in custody, Hamdan was released on August 14, 2024.
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.