Farah Abu Ayyash, a Palestinian journalist with Iran’s Tasnim news agency, has revealed the torture and ill-treatment she endured for more than 110 days in Israeli custody.
Abu Ayyash, who is based in Hebron (al-Khalil) in the southern West Bank, was arrested on August 6, 2025, when Israeli forces raided his home in Beit Ummar, north of the city. She was transferred to the Moskoviya detention center in occupied Jerusalem (Al-Quds), where she said she was tortured, harassed, and abused by guards.
Tasnim refrained from making his case public for several months due to concerns about the legal process in Israeli courts and the potential risks to his family. However, after Abu Ayyash succeeded in delivering testimony from prison about the abuse she suffered, the press decided to publicize her ordeal.
Tasnim stressed that his work is strictly journalistic, with a focus on documenting the human cost of the West Bank occupation and expressing solidarity with Gaza after the Israeli attack in October 2023. The outlet denied Israeli claims that she was involved in activities that went beyond her professional duties.
Abu Ayyash’s case reflects a broader pattern of repression against Palestinian and foreign journalists in the occupied territories.
The Committee to Protect Journalists reports that approximately 250 journalists and media workers, including more than 200 Palestinians, have been killed in the Gaza Strip since October 2023. Foreign reporters remain prohibited from entering the enclave, leaving local journalists to bear the brunt of Israel’s war. CPJ also said there were dozens of arrests, injuries, and assaults, as well as censorship and threats against journalists’ families.
Repression is intensifying in the West Bank. Reporters Without Borders and Article 19 have documented arbitrary detentions, shootings, and movement restrictions amid a surge in settler violence against journalists. The United Nations recorded more than 260 attacks on settlers in October 2025 alone, many of them targeting journalists during the olive harvest.