NEW YORK: Palestinian journalists held in Israeli prisons from October 2023 to January 2026 have suffered “systematic abuse,” according to a Committee to Protect Journalists report published Thursday.
Of 59 correspondents interviewed, “all but one reported being subjected to what they described as torture, abuse, or other forms of violence,” the New York-based watchdog said in a statement.
CPJ director Jodie Ginsberg urged the international community to “take action” over the reports of abuse.
“The scale and consistency of these testimonies point to something far beyond isolated misconduct,” she said.
The CPJ said journalists spoke of beatings, sexual violence, prolonged restraint in painful positions, and exposure to loud music, barking and bomb noises.
They also described unsanitary living conditions, medical neglect and food deprivation. The CPJ said the interviewees lost 23.5 kilograms (52 pounds) on average while in detention.
Yousef Sharaf, one of the journalists, testified that abscesses formed on his infected wounds due to beatings and that another detainee, a surgeon, carried out improvised operations due to a lack of proper medical care.
Another prisoner, Sami Al-Sai, said he was raped with objects.
A third, Mohammed Al-Atrash, claimed that before his release he was ordered to cease all journalistic activity: “They told me if you write as much as ‘good morning’ on your socials, we will find out.”
Journalists behind bars
Most of the prisoners were placed in administrative detention, a system that allows them to be held without charge for a potentially unlimited period. None were prosecuted.
Most were prevented from communicating with their lawyers, according to the CPJ.
The nonprofit said Israel’s military did not comment on the specific allegations. However, a spokesperson said detainees “are treated in accordance with international law.”
The spokesperson added that Israeli armed forces “have never, and will never, deliberately target journalists,” and that any violations of protocol “will be looked into.”
Israel’s prison service, also contacted by CPJ on the allegations, said that to its knowledge “no such events have occurred.”
It also said all prisoners are detained according to the law with basic rights fully upheld, and that they can file complaints as needed.
Israel has jailed an increasing number of journalists since 2023, the year of Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel, which responded with a devastating war in the Gaza Strip.
The CPJ has recorded at least 94 journalists and one Palestinian media worker detained between October 2023 and January 2026. As of February 19, 30 were still behind bars.
Since 1992, the countries most frequently cited for torture and violence against imprisoned journalists have been Iran, Israel and Egypt, according to the CPJ.
Palestinian journalists cite ‘systematic abuse’ in Israeli prisons: CPJ
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Palestinian journalists cite ‘systematic abuse’ in Israeli prisons: CPJ
- Palestinian journalists held in Israeli prisons from October 2023 to January 2026 have suffered “systematic abuse,” according to a Committee to Protect Journalists report published Thursday
Meta to charge Arab advertisers extra fee for reaching European audiences
- US tech giant told advertisers it will add fees ranging from 2 to 5 percent on image and video ads delivered on its platforms to offset digital service taxes
- Charges are determined by where the audience is located, not where the advertiser is based
LONDON: Meta will from July 1 impose location-based surcharges on advertisers targeting audiences in six European countries, a move that will directly affect Arab businesses that run campaigns across the continent.
The US tech giant announced it will add fees ranging from 2 to 5 percent on image and video ads delivered on its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, to offset digital service taxes imposed by individual governments.
Crucially, the charges are determined by where the audience is located, not where the advertiser is based.
That means Saudi, Emirati, Egyptian or other Arab companies paying to reach consumers in the UK, France or Italy will face the additional costs regardless of their own country’s tax arrangements with Meta.
Fees will apply at 2 percent for ads reaching UK audiences, 3 percent for France, Italy and Spain, and 5 percent for Austria and Turkiye.
“If you deliver $100 in ads to Italy, where there is a 3% location fee, you will be charged $100 (ad delivery), plus $3 (location fee), for $103 total,” the company wrote in an email to an advertiser initially reported by Bloomberg. “Note that any applicable VAT will be calculated on top of the total amount.”
The taxes have been introduced at different points, starting with France in 2019, though not the EU as a bloc.
Many tech companies report substantial sales in Europe and millions of users but pay minimal tax on profits. The goal is to claw back locally derived economic value, Bloomberg reported.
The move follows similar decisions by Google and Amazon, which have also begun passing European digital tax costs on to advertisers.
For Arab brands with growing European footprints, particularly in fashion, travel, hospitality and media, the new fees add another layer of cost to campaigns already subject to currency and targeting complexities.
Digital services taxes, levied as a percentage of revenues earned by major tech platforms in individual countries, have drawn criticism from Washington, which argues they unfairly target US companies.
Meta has been reached for comments.
