Beirut, October 13, 2026 — The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply alarmed by a recent wave of violations committed by Israeli authorities against the press in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. Recent incidents include a local reporter shot with rubber bullets, a Portuguese journalist detained and deported, and the barring of German and British reporters. CPJ demands that Israeli authorities allow the press to operate freely without intimidation or harassment.
Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank targeted two journalists documenting the Palestinian olive harvest. On
October 8, 2026
, a Portuguese correspondent for the independent outlet Fumaça was arrested in Rantis, northwest of Ramallah, and deported the following day.
Ribeiro told CPJ that upon his detention, he identified himself as a journalist, showing his press credentials to the soldiers. He was then taken to a military base where he was threatened with physical assault, and blindfolded. He said that international journalists were removed so that Israeli authorities could continue what he described as an “ethnic cleansing project.”
Two days later near Ramallah, Israeli troops fired rubber bullets during clashes involving settlers,
striking
Palestinian photojournalist Issam al-Rimawi. Al-Rimawi told CPJ that he was wearing an identifiable “Press” vest when the incident occurred.
This attack follows
similar incidents against
Palestinian journalists covering the olive harvest in the West Bank; Israeli settlers
attacked
Agence France-Presse photographer Jaafar Ashtiyeh on October 6, and Israeli authorities
detained
journalists Mohammad Abed and Mohammad Atiq later that day.
On October 11, British journalist Secunder Kermani, working with Channel 4,
said
he was denied entry into Israel and briefly detained by immigration authorities before the decision was reversed, and he was allowed to enter.
Israel also reportedly rejected a work visa application for German jou
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