Gaza Journalists Reveals Mistreatment and Interrogations During ‘israeli’ Detention
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has released accounts from five Palestinian journalists based in Gaza, detailing their abduction by Israeli occupation forces following the events of October 7. The testimonies highlight incidents of abuse, intense interrogation, and rights violations closely linked to their professional activities in journalism.
The group of journalists, comprising Alaa al-Sarraj, Diaa al-Kahlout, Shadi Abu Sido, and Imad al-Ifranji, reported enduring severe mistreatment while in custody. They faced regular interrogations concerning their journalistic activities and were subjected to substantial physical and psychological abuse.
Journalist Abu Sido shared his experience of being detained while reporting at al-Shifa Medical Complex on March 18, 2024. He spent a total of 572 days in custody, during which he was moved across different facilities including Sde Teiman, Ofer, and Ketziot prisons. Following his release, he is grappling with significant health challenges, including losing sight in one eye, suffering from scabies, experiencing seizures and insomnia, and facing a diminished appetite.
A recent report has uncovered that none of the five journalists have been able to return to their professional duties following their release, primarily due to the physical and psychological aftereffects of their imprisonment. Sarraj, who endured 692 days in Israeli detention, disclosed that he has lost his home, vehicle, media equipment, and the entire archive of his media organization.
Journalists reported that despite clearly identifying themselves as members of the press at the moment they were detained in Gaza, they were nonetheless abducted and transported to Israeli detention centers.
The Reporters Without Borders (RSF) declared that witness testimonies underscore the intentional targeting of Palestinian journalists based on their professional duties, describing the interrogations and abuses as components of a systematic pattern of persecution.
The testimonies offered by those abducted shed light on the nature of the interrogations they faced, as investigators focused their questions on the individuals’ engagement with the media, their field reporting activities, and their professional affiliations.
Shadi Abu Sido has revealed that an interrogator from Israeli military intelligence inquired about the media coverage in northern Gaza. The interrogator reportedly sought details concerning journalists who covered the events that unfolded on October 7.
Alaa al-Sarraj reported that the questioning sessions focused on detailed inquiries into his professional activities and connections within Gaza. Meanwhile, Imad al-Ifranji and Diaa al-Kahlout underwent several interrogation sessions led by Israeli security agencies.
The report underscored that Israeli officials detained the journalists under the “unlawful combatants” legislation. This legal framework enabled the extension of their detention via brief court sessions held in the absence of legal representation.
Reports indicate that the abducted individuals faced numerous judicial decisions prolonging their detainment for undefined periods, despite notifying the courts of their identities as journalists protected under international law.
The organization has once again called for the immediate release of all Palestinian journalists currently detained by Israeli authorities. It highlighted that 19 Palestinian journalists remain imprisoned, including two who were taken captive in Gaza subsequent to the events of October 7.
