On February 10, 2026, the Israeli military arrested photojournalist Mohammad Thabet in the village of Beit Dajan, in Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Soldiers arrested Thabet after raiding his home, destroying the front door and some of the contents inside the house, according to his brother, Nusair, who spoke to CPJ.
Nusair told CPJ that Thabet was taken to Howara interrogation center, followed by a detention center in Petah Tikva near Tel Aviv. He is currently held in Al-Jalama detention center, according to Israeli human rights organization HaMoked, which spoke to Nusair.
On February 18, Nusair told CPJ that Thabet’s detention had been extended at the Al-Jalama detention center court until February 24, for the purpose of investigating. The extension was granted without Thabet being allowed to see a lawyer, said Nusair.
On March 30, an Israeli court extended Thabet’s detention for an additional eight days, pending charges, his brother told CPJ. This follows five court extension issued between March 3 and March 26.
On April 6, 2026, an Israeli court charged Thabet with incitement and extended his detention for nine days in Ofer prison, his brother Nusair told CPJ. Nusair said the charges were tied to Thabet’s journalistic work, specifically his documentation of settlers’ abuses, which authorities classified as incitement.
On April 14, 2026, an Israeli court extended Thabet’s detention for an additional 20 days in Ofer prison, according to Nusair.
In response to an email from CPJ, the International Press Desk of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said Thabet was arrested due to his “involvement in terrorist activities on behalf of the Hamas terrorist organization.”