Struggle and Solidarity: Writing Toward Palestinian Liberation

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On August 9, 2026, Israeli authorities informed the Palestinian Commission of Detainees Affairs of the death of journalist Ihab Diab while in Israeli custody.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, a nongovernmental organization that supports Palestinians incarcerated by Israel, Diab was arrested on December 12, 2023, from the home of one of his relatives in the northern Gaza Strip. The Prisoners’ Club said the Israeli authorities attributed Diab’s death to his health condition, without providing sufficient details about the circumstances of his death. Diab’s fate and whereabouts had remained unknown for nearly two years. After contacting his family, the Prisoners’ Club confirmed that Diab had not suffered from any known health condition before his arrest and that he had been in excellent health.

Diab’s case reflects a broader pattern of secret detention documented by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. A 2024 report stated that thousands of Palestinians, including journalists, had been detained since October 7, 2023, and that many were held in secret, without being informed of the reasons for their detention or being granted effective access to lawyers or judicial review. The report also documented allegations of torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.

A statement issued by the Commission of Detainees Affairs on August 9, 2026, regarding Palestinian journalist and prisoner Ihab Diab, said that Diab’s death brought the total number of Palestinian prisoners who have died in Israeli custody since 1967 to 328, including 91 since October 7, 2023.

Although journalists are protected under international humanitarian law, this does not mean that they have special immunity from arrest. Rather, journalists are considered civilians as long as they do not directly participate in hostilities. Article 79 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions recognizes journalists engaged in dangerous professional missions in areas of armed conflict as civilians and therefore grants them the protections afforded to civilians.

Reporters in Gaza Are Under Attack. Will I Be Recognized as One If I Am Killed?

Furthermore, the UN Convention against Torture absolutely prohibits torture. Article 2 states that no exceptional........

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