On March 18, 2024, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched an offensive on the Al-Shifa hospital complex in Gaza, arresting scores of Palestinians, including Mohamad Arab, a freelance journalist with Al-Araby TV, according to multiple news reports.
On June 19, 2024, lawyer Khaled Mahajneh told Al-Araby TV, which Arab freelanced for before his arrest, that the journalist was being held at the Israeli detention facility Sde Teiman. The lawyer, who saw Arab at Sde Teiman, said that the journalist was unaware of his location for 100 days after his arrest.
The lawyer also relayed Arab’s testimony: “We face mistreatment and torture all day, including sexual harassment and rape. The beatings and insults never stop.”
Arab, in the testimony that was published by media outlets, added that all the detainees, including himself, were surrounded by police dogs at all the times.
Arab also told Mahajneh that his health deteriorated, the food quality was very poor and in small quantities, adding that “every four detainees can use the toilets for a total of a minute and are allowed to shower for one minute a week.”
Mahajneh told CPJ via a messaging app that “Arab was questioned 40 days after his arrest from Al-Shifa hospital, where he reiterated that he’s a journalist working with multiple outlets and was accused by soldiers and investigators of acting as a messenger of information for Hamas.” The lawyer said Arab was not treated as a journalist, even after he told investigators that he was arrested while doing his job at the hospital. Mahajneh added that Arab was asked where Hamas stored its weapons, to which he responded “I don’t know, I’m a journalist and I was arrested while doing journalism.”
In March 2026, CPJ reached out to Mohamad’s wife, Wafaa Arab, who confirmed to CPJ that Arab was arbitrarily detained under the Unlawful Combatants Law without charge. His detention has been extended every six months, the latest was on November 27, 2025. She said that he is currently being held in Kitzi’ot prison, in the Negev desert.
According to Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, the Unlawful Combatants Law allows Israel to hold detainees for long periods of time without charge and with limited access to legal counsel. Skafi and B’Tselem both described overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and abuse at Israeli prison facilities housing Palestinian journalists.
His wife also told CPJ that Arab had two lawyer visits, a right that was later revoked after his lawyer publicly alleged he was being held in poor conditions. The family was in the process of hiring a new lawyer.
According to his wife, Arab suffers from poor vision in his left eye and was denied treatment. He also suffers from a herniated disc and has hemorrhoids.
Arab began a full hunger strike on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, to protest his detention and reported medical neglect, which is affecting his vision and causing spasms in his legs. He ended the hunger strike after one week.
On June 24, 2026, his lawyer, Khaled Mahajneh, said in a Facebook post that after filing a petition with the court, the Israel Prison Service provided Arab with clothing after not receiving a change of underwear in a year, and allowed him to use a mirror after not seeing his own reflection in two years. There is "a level of deprivation at which a prisoner begins to long for his own features, and to know that he is still himself," explained Mahajneh.
CPJ emailed the Israeli Prison Service for comment on the conditions of Arab’s detention and his hunger strike but did not receive a response at the time of publication.