Israeli forces have freed correspondent Montaser Nassar and several other detainees, hours after taking them into custody during a raid in the southern occupied West Bank.
Nassar was detained early on Tuesday at his home in Dura, a town near Hebron. Video of the arrest shows him blindfolded and handcuffed as soldiers led him into a military vehicle.
Raid on Dura and the detention of Nassar
‘s Mohamed al-Atrash, reporting from Hebron, said at least 20 Palestinians were held in the Dura raid, Nassar among them. Israeli troops pulled out of the town hours later. Nassar had been covering the operation near his home when soldiers turned their attention to his house.
Atrash, citing the account of Nassar’s wife, said Nassar walked toward the door but saw troops advancing on the residential building where he lives before the army entered the house. “The army entered and assaulted his wife before confiscating our colleague Montaser’s personal phone,” Atrash said. Nassar was taken away with the other detainees at about 2:30am (00:30 GMT).
Pressure on Palestinian journalists in the West Bank
Atrash described such raids as “part of the daily reality experienced in the West Bank”. Detainees are either jailed or released after field interrogations by officers from Israel’s Shin Bet security service.
Atrash added that Israel is holding at least 40 Palestinian journalists, “half of whom are held under administrative detention without charge”. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate recorded 84 alleged press violations by Israeli forces and settlers in August alone, including arrests and a death in custody. Last week, Israeli forces raided the Hebron office of Al-Ghad TV, and Israel raided and shut ‘s Ramallah bureau in 2024.
