MADA Condemns Israeli Detention of Journalist Inas Ikhlawi as Part of Ongoing Crackdown on Palestinian Media
The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) has issued a sharp condemnation of the Israeli occupation forces' arrest of journalist Inas Ikhlawi, describing it as an "arbitrary detention" that fits into a broader systematic policy targeting Palestinian journalists.
In a statement released on January 8, MADA detailed how Israeli forces raided Ikhlawi's home in the town of Idhna, west of Hebron in the southern West Bank, early on January 5, leading to her detention. This incident occurred during a large-scale arrest campaign across the occupied West Bank, where dozens of Palestinians were detained amid escalating settler violence.
MADA noted that Ikhlawi's arrest follows closely after the detention of journalist Salim Suhail Al-Salman on January 1, when forces stormed his home in Tulkarm, confiscating phones from him and his family members.
The center emphasized that such detentions represent grave violations of press freedom and the right to freedom of expression. They reflect a "dangerous escalation" in attacks on journalists, including killings, arrests, administrative detention without charge, physical assaults, and digital harassment.
These actions, MADA argued, contravene Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which protects freedom of opinion and expression, as well as Article 79 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, which mandates the protection of journalists during their professional duties.
Highlighting the gendered dimension, MADA stated that targeting female journalists like Ikhlawi constitutes a "double violation," underscoring a troubling increase in attacks on women in the media sector amid a climate of impunity.
The organization called for the immediate release of Inas Ikhlawi, Salim Al-Salman, and all other detained Palestinian journalists. It also urged international bodies focused on freedom of opinion and expression to intervene urgently to protect media workers and ensure accountability for the occupying authorities.
This arrest comes against a backdrop of intensified Israeli actions in the West Bank. Reports indicate that around 9,250 Palestinians remain in Israeli detention, with nearly half held under administrative detention orders renewable indefinitely without charge or trial. In 2025 alone, Israeli authorities detained 42 Palestinian journalists, including several women, according to monitoring groups.
Advocacy organizations like the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) have documented a record wave of arrests since the escalation of conflict in October 2023, often aimed at silencing coverage of events in the occupied territories.
As of early 2026, dozens of Palestinian journalists remain behind bars, many in administrative detention based on secret evidence. Rights groups continue to decry these practices as tools to suppress the Palestinian narrative and deter reporting on human rights issues.
MADA's strong stance underscores growing concerns over the erosion of media freedoms in the region, calling on the global community to act decisively to safeguard journalists' rights and safety.
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