Palestinian journalist Mohammed Awad detained by IDF in West Bank, family says

Israeli forces detained Palestinian journalist Mohammed Awad, 38, from his home near Ramallah on Wednesday, his wife said. The IDF did not comment. The Palestinian Prisoners' Society says 40 Palestinian journalists are now held by Israel. The arrest follows intensified West Bank operations since October 7, 2023.

The Israel Defense Forces detained Palestinian journalist Mohammed Awad, 38, from his home near Ramallah at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, according to his wife Iman Shalash. Shalash said soldiers blindfolded and handcuffed him before taking him to a military vehicle. The military did not comment despite multiple inquiries from AFP. The Palestinian Prisoners' Society said Awad's detention brings to 40 the number of Palestinian journalists held by Israel. The Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate called the arrest "an extension of the occupation's systematic policy of targeting Palestinian journalists." Awad's detention comes amid intensified Israeli arrest operations in the West Bank since Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack. The IDF said it detained 3,486 wanted Palestinians in 2025, up from 2,694 the previous year. The military did not state whether Awad was suspected of terror activity.