Palestinian journalist Mujahed Bani Moflh, 36, an editor at the Qatar-based website Ultra Palestine and father of three, was arrested at his home in the town of Beita, south of Nablus in the West Bank, on June 28, 2025. He was released by Israeli authorities on January 11, 2026, after being detained for six and a half months.
According to Bani Moflh, Israeli forces raided his home, forcibly breaking down the door, as well as those of neighboring homes. He said he was beaten in front of his wife and youngest child while soldiers searched for his identification. He reported that his laptop, mobile phones, and an external hard drive were confiscated, and that he was blindfolded, handcuffed, and prevented from saying goodbye to his child.
The journalist was initially transferred to the Howara interrogation center and later to another facility near Turmus Ayya in Ramallah, where he said he was left on the floor for hours without food, his diabetes medication, or the removal of his restraints. After a medical examination at Beilinson Hospital, he was taken to Megiddo Prison, where he alleged he was subjected to severe beatings, verbal abuse, the shaving of his hair, repeated strip searches, and other mistreatment, including strikes to sensitive areas on his body.
He reported remaining in Megiddo for 45 days, witnessing the deaths of two prisoners from alleged mistreatment and being held in unsanitary conditions alongside prisoners suffering from scabies and boils. Despite his diabetes, he avoided infection. He was later transferred to Negev Prison until his release.
Bani Moflh said he was only questioned by Israeli police. He said authorities accused him of being a threat to regional security, of acting as an operative for Palestinian factions, supporting terrorist groups, and helping to carry out prohibited activities. He said he believes his incarceration was intended to discourage his journalistic work.
His case was heard six times via video conference, and although a court ordered his release on December 25, 2025, his detention was extended via administrative detention order.
During his detention, Bani Moflh said he lost 23 kilograms (50 pounds) due to what he described as a starvation policy in Israeli detention centers. He said the amount of food provided was not sufficient, and was of poor quality, claiming that his rice contained dirt and stones.
Following his release, the journalist was taken on January 15, 2026 to the National Hospital in Nablus and then to the Consultative Hospital in Ramallah, and doctors found that he suffered a brain hemorrhage, his brother Abdullah Bani Moflh, told CPJ. His condition is stable after undergoing surgery.
Bani Moflh’s testimony was included in the CPJ special report, “We returned from hell,” published in February 2026, which compiles accounts from 58 journalists who reported patterns of abuse, torture and mistreatment against Palestinian journalists in Israeli prisons.
The Israeli military did not respond to CPJ’s repeated requests for comment on specific allegations by journalists, instead requesting ID numbers and geographic coordinates that CPJ does not collect or provide. When asked about allegations of physical and sexual abuse, starvation, and the investigation and accountability process, an army spokesperson said “individuals detained are treated in accordance with international law,” adding that the armed forces “have never, and will never, deliberately target journalists,” and that any violations of protocol “will be looked into.”
CPJ also emailed the Israel Prison Service (IPS) regarding the allegations. In response, the IPS said “all prisoners are detained according to the law” and that “all basic rights are fully upheld by professionally trained prison guards.” The service said it was unaware of the claims described, and that to its knowledge “no such events have occurred,” but noted that “prisoners and detainees have the right to file a complaint that will be fully examined and addressed by official authorities.”