Beirut, October 26, 2026 – The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply alarmed by the violations committed against journalists during the Israel Defense Forces’ raid on the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, including detaining reporters, firing tear gas, and pointing lasers at journalists.
Israeli troops launched a major raid on Hebron on Friday, October 23, following an
attack
that killed two Israeli soldiers, imposing
sweeping closures and restrictions
on the area.
Two Hebron-based journalists, freelancer
Musab Qafesha
and head of Radio Fourth,
Riad Khamiss
, were
detained
by Israeli troops for several hours on Saturday. Qafesha was previously detained by Israeli forces in October 2023, and released a year later. During his imprisonment, he lost 45kg (22 pounds). He was previously detained in
2022
and
2021
.
In at least
one incident
local journalist
Sohaib Ewiwe
filmed tear gas being fired at journalists covering the raid. Israeli troops also raided the offices of Al-Ghad TV in Hebron on Saturday, with the channel
accusing
the army of turning the offices into military barracks. Two days later, on Monday, Israeli forces
intercepted
the channel’s news crew.
Soldiers were also seen using
lasers
against journalists, and on Monday Al-Araby TV journalist Fadi al-Assa showed an Israeli drone
hovering
over him and his colleagues as they worked.
Media reports
also quoted anonymous Israeli army sources saying that Agence France-Presse photographer Hazem Bader had prior knowledge of the attack on Israeli troops in the West Bank. Israeli police
denied
the report, and the
Foreign Press Association
called the accusation “completely untrue”, adding that the accusation “puts journalists working to keep the world informed at risk”.
Elsewhere in the West Bank near Jenin, Israeli settlers
vandalized
a memorial dedicated to Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian journalist
killed
by Israeli troops while covering a raid on the area in 2022.
