Israeli forces have arrested Al Jazeera Arabic's correspondent Montaser Nassar in a raid on his home in Dura, near the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, the network reports. Al Jazeera says Nassar was arrested early on Tuesday, and that video of the arrest shows Israeli forces leading him, blindfolded and handcuffed, into a military vehicle.
Al Jazeera reported that Nassar was among more than 13 Palestinians arrested in Dura on Tuesday, according to sources who spoke to the network, and that all were taken to an undisclosed location.
Last week, Al Jazeera said, Israeli forces raided Al-Ghad TV's office in Hebron. Israel raided and shut down Al Jazeera's own Ramallah bureau in the West Bank in 2024.
According to the network, Israeli forces had previously assaulted Nassar and his cameraman in Dura on December 29, 2023, causing bruising.
Al Jazeera reported that the arrest comes amid what it described as mounting pressure on Palestinian journalists in the occupied West Bank. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate recorded 84 alleged press violations by Israeli forces and settlers in August alone, including arrests and a death in custody, the network reported.
Al Jazeera's account is the one carried in its own reporting of the arrest; the article does not include a response from the Israeli military.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The arrest of a correspondent for a major international broadcaster puts the treatment of journalists in the occupied West Bank back in focus, at a time when the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate says violations are running at dozens a month.
- News organisations covering the territory rely on local reporters such as Nassar; arrests and office raids make that reporting harder and raise the cost for the people doing it.
- The reported detention of more than a dozen people in Dura in a single raid, with no disclosed location, leaves families and employers without a clear account of where those held have been taken.
Background
Al Jazeera is a Qatar-based broadcaster that operates Arabic and English services and has long maintained a bureau in the West Bank. Israel has previously moved against its operations there: Al Jazeera reports that Israeli forces raided and shut down its Ramallah bureau in 2024. Palestinian journalists working for local and international outlets have reported pressure and detention over the course of the conflict, and the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate tallies alleged violations by Israeli forces and settlers, including arrests.
Key Perspectives
Al Jazeera: says its Arabic correspondent Montaser Nassar was arrested at his home in Dura early on Tuesday, that more than 13 Palestinians were arrested in the town and taken to an undisclosed location, and that the arrest comes amid mounting pressure on Palestinian journalists in the occupied West Bank.
Palestinian Journalists Syndicate: recorded 84 alleged press violations by Israeli forces and settlers in August alone, including arrests and a death in custody, according to Al Jazeera's report.
What to Watch
- Whether Nassar is charged, released or held, and whether his location is disclosed.
- Whether the Israeli military gives its own account of the Dura raid and the detentions.
- Further raids on media offices in the Hebron area, after the reported raid on Al-Ghad TV's office last week.