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

The Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday detained a Palestinian journalist who worked for news outlets including AFP, his family and witnesses said, in the latest arrest of a reporter in the West Bank.

Mohammed Awad, 38, was taken away from his home near Ramallah at 6 a.m., his wife Iman Shalash said.

The Israeli soldiers “blindfolded him, handcuffed him and took him” to a military vehicle, said Shalash.

The military, contacted by AFP multiple times on the reasons for Awad’s detention, did not immediately comment. Awad was not reachable.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society, a non-governmental group that advocates for detained Palestinians, said that Awad’s detainment brought to 40 the number of Palestinian journalists held by Israel.

The Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate called Awad’s arrest “an extension of the occupation’s systematic policy of targeting Palestinian journalists.”

İsrail askerleri, Batı Şeria'da bir eve düzenlenen baskında Filistinli gazeteci ve Drop Site yazarı 38 yaşındaki Mohamed Awad'ı gözaltına aldı. pic.twitter.com/Y8eh77vTzR

— Conflict (@ConflictTR) August 12, 2026

It is part of “a continuous attempt to silence the voice of the press and obstruct the transmission of the truth,” it said.

Awad’s detention came amid intensified Israeli arrest operations in the West Bank since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.

The IDF said it detained 3,486 wanted Palestinians in the territory in 2025, up from 2,694 the previous year. The raids have continued in 2026, with the military saying in late July that it detained more than 70 wanted Palestinians in a single overnight operation, including Hamas affiliates and suspects allegedly planning attacks.

The IDF had emphasized that its top priority is to establish security control over the West Bank to prevent future attacks originating from the area.

The IDF did not say if Awad was suspected of terror activity or provide a reason for his detention.