NEW YORK: A new report from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) states that Palestinian journalists have been subjected to torture and systematic abuse while in Israeli detention since the beginning of the Gaza war in 2023.
The report, entitled “We returned from hell,” compiles accounts from 59 journalists who were released. Their testimonies describe experiences including beatings, starvation, sexual violence such as rape, and medical neglect within Israeli prisons.
Detainees also reported psychological threats, being forced into painful stress positions for extended periods, and prolonged exposure to high-volume sound, including continuous music in areas they referred to as “disco rooms.”
To support these accounts, the CPJ reviewed photographs, medical reports, and legal documents provided by the freed journalists. The organisation documented the detention of at least 94 Palestinian journalists and one media worker between October 2023 and January 2026.
This group included 32 individuals from Gaza, 60 from the West Bank, and two from Israel. As of February 17, 2026, 30 of these individuals remain in custody.
According to the report, more than 80 percent of the journalists interviewed were held under Israel’s administrative detention system, which permits imprisonment without charge or trial and can be renewed indefinitely. A significant number also reported being denied adequate legal representation, with some not allowed to speak to a lawyer at all.
Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of CPJ, stated that the organisation’s findings reveal a consistent pattern in the treatment of Palestinian journalists in Israeli custody. She emphasised that the scale and uniformity of the testimonies suggest a situation that goes beyond isolated misconduct.
The report details that a large majority of the journalists reported extreme hunger or malnutrition. The CPJ calculated an average weight loss of 23.5 kilograms among the group, with photographic evidence showing dramatic physical transformations, including gaunt faces and protruding ribs.
Accounts of sexual violence were a recurring element in the testimonies, described as being intended to humiliate, terrorize, and permanently scar the detainees. Two journalists specifically reported being raped, with one journalist, Sami al-Sai, describing an assault involving penetration with objects by soldiers at Megiddo prison.
At least 14 journalists reported being subjected to prolonged exposure to high-volume sound, particularly at the Sde Teiman detention facility, which resulted in sleep deprivation and sensory disorientation. The UN Committee Against Torture has previously found that such practices, especially when combined with other coercive methods, may constitute torture under international law.
The CPJ documented numerous accounts of medical neglect. These included wounds being stitched without anesthesia, untreated fractures and eye injuries, and the deliberate neglect of both pre-existing and newly sustained health conditions. Some journalists reported avoiding medical staff, alleging that doctors either inflicted or condoned the abuse.
Sara Qudah, CPJ Regional Director, noted that across dozens of cases, the organization documented a recurring set of abuses—from beatings and starvation to sexual violence and medical neglect—directed at journalists in connection with their work. She characterized this as a deliberate strategy to intimidate and silence them, and to destroy their capacity to bear witness.
In response to the report, the Israeli military stated that detainees are treated in accordance with international law and that its forces have never and will never deliberately target journalists, adding that any violations of protocol would be investigated. The Israel Prison Service said it was unaware of the claims and that no such events have occurred.
Human rights organisations have previously documented similar treatment of Palestinians in Israeli detention. The Israeli human rights group B’Tselem has described the prison system as a “network of torture camps.” In a separate instance in November 2025, a UN Committee Against Torture expert expressed being deeply appalled by reports of systematic and widespread torture and inhuman treatment of Palestinians.
The CPJ has called on Israel to allow independent international monitors, including UN special rapporteurs, access to detention facilities and to conduct transparent, impartial investigations into all allegations.
According to CPJ figures, at least 209 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza by Israeli forces since October 7, 2023, bringing the documented total to 249 journalists and media workers killed by Israel across the region. Press freedom organisations have described this period as the deadliest for journalists in modern history.
