Israeli forces arrest prominent Palestinian journalist in West Bank

The Syndicate of Palestinian Journalists has denounced the detention of a notable local journalist by Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank. Ali al-Samoudi, known for his extensive work with Western media, was arrested during a raid at his son’s residence in the northern city of Jenin early Tuesday morning.

The 58-year-old underwent questioning for thirty minutes at a location that remains undisclosed and was subsequently moved to an Israeli hospital as his health worsened, according to his son Mohammed.

The Israeli military said Samoudi was “identified with the [Palestinian] Islamic Jihad terrorist organisation” and “suspected in the transfer of funds” to it, without giving any evidence.

His family firmly rejected any claims of his involvement and stated that throughout his lengthy career he had never encountered such an accusation before. They claimed that Israeli officials had not provided them with the name of the hospital where he was receiving treatment or any other information.

He is anticipated to appear before a military tribunal next Tuesday.

On Tuesday, the Israeli military stated that security forces had arrested 24 wanted suspects “linked to the transfer of money to terrorist groups”, including three from Jenin, during operations throughout the West Bank.

In May 2022, Samoudi was collaborating with the Palestinian-American Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Aqla when she was killed by an Israeli sniper at the entrance of the Jenin refugee camp. He was hit and injured in the back.

As reported by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Israeli forces have detained a minimum of 79 journalists in the West Bank and Gaza since the onset of the Gaza war in October 2023, while Palestinian authorities have taken into custody five additional individuals. The organization reports that an additional 176 journalists, predominantly Palestinian, have died in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel, and Lebanon amid the conflict.