Journalist Ihab Diab, who worked as a freelance photojournalist, died on September 18, 2024, after being taken into Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) custody, and his body is being held by authorities, according to court documents that CPJ reviewed.
Diab was detained by Israeli forces on December 12, 2023, from his uncle’s home on Al-Lababidi Street in northern Gaza, according to his brother Basem Diab who spoke to CPJ. Relatives stated that Israeli soldiers briefly interrogated him, then took him and placed him in a military vehicle in front of them.
In September 2024, Basem told CPJ that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) informed him that Ihab was being held in Ktzi'ot Prison, an Israeli detention facility located in the Negev. However, in the same month, Majda Karaja from the Palestinian prisoners’ rights organization Addameer told CPJ that Ihab was not listed as detained.
CPJ became aware of Diab’s death in custody following a petition to the IDF’s Military Prosecutor's Office submitted by his family through the Israeli organization Gisha. The petition dated February 26, 2026 includes a 2025 admission that “the deceased is being held in custody and stored in IDF facilities.”
When initially asked about Diab’s whereabouts, the IDF International Press Desk repeatedly told CPJ “there is no record of him being apprehended or detained by the IDF.”
After being presented with the petition, the IDF told CPJ on April 4, 2026, that “the body of the individual is confirmed to be held by the IDF,” adding, without providing evidence, that the journalist “served as a Hamas platoon commander and was therefore apprehended by the IDF.”
When asked about how Diab died in their custody, the IDF said “no further comment”.
On August 9, 2026, the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees in Palestine issued a statement saying that it had received confirmation from the IDF that Diab died in Israeli custody on September 18, 2024. According to that statement, Israeli authorities said Diab had an underlying health condition that led to his death. His family categorically denied that claim, saying he was in good health at the time of his arrest and raising concerns that he may have been subjected to abuse or mistreatment similar to other Palestinian journalists held in Israeli custody.
CPJ continues to investigate cases involving journalists killed in the Israel-Gaza war and routinely reviews and updates its documentation when credible new information becomes available.
CPJ released a statement in April 2026 demanding answers and independent investigations into the deaths of Diab and media worker Marwan Harzallah in Israeli custody.