Israel jails journalist over reporting on Shireen Abu Aklehs fatal shooting incident

Palestinian Journalist Ali al-Samoudi’s Detention Status Raises Concerns

Ali al-Samoudi, a 59-year-old Palestinian journalist, has been held in detention by Israeli authorities since April last year. He was initially arrested during an early morning raid on his son’s home in Jenin, the occupied West Bank, on charges of allegedly transferring funds to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Israel later stated that it found “no sufficient evidence” against him.

Al-Samoudi has been under arbitrary detention since May 2025, and his case has sparked concerns among human rights groups. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate has warned that al-Samoudi’s life is now at risk due to the harsh treatment he has received in prison.

According to reports, al-Samoudi was initially detained in a military barracks in Jenin before being transferred to various facilities, including the Jalameh detention centre and Megiddo prison. In May 2025, an Israeli court issued an administrative detention order against him for a period of six months due to the lack of sufficient evidence.

The Israeli army stated that the order was justified as al-Samoudi’s “presence” posed a danger to the security of the region. Since then, his detention order has been repeatedly renewed, with Israel extending it for an additional four months in January this year.

Human rights groups have criticized Israel’s use of administrative detention, citing concerns over the lack of transparency and due process. According to B’Tslem, the Israeli information centre for human rights, 3,474 Palestinians were held in administrative detention at the end of September 2025. The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society has also reported that al-Samoudi is one of 22 Palestinian journalists being held in similar conditions.

As of July 2025, al-Samoudi had told his lawyer that he had been informed that Israel would not bring charges against him related to the alleged funding of terrorism. The exact circumstances surrounding his detention and treatment remain unclear, but human rights groups are urging caution and calling for transparency.

Source: Al Jazeera