West Bank, MINA – Israeli occupation forces abducted Nasser al-Lahham, Director of Al Mayadeen’s Palestine Bureau, in a raid on his home in Beit Lahm (Bethlehem), southern West Bank, early Monday.
According to local sources, the abduction was accompanied by acts of vandalism. Israeli troops stormed al-Lahham’s home, damaged furniture, and confiscated the personal phones of al-Lahham and his family members.
The arrest sparked widespread condemnation from Palestinian political and media circles. Palestinian political activist Sinan Shaqdeh told Al Mayadeen that “the arrest of journalist Nasser al-Lahham carries significant implications, particularly as part of efforts to target Al Mayadeen Network, which provides an alternative narrative and challenges Israel’s version of the ongoing genocide in Gaza.”
The arrest is part of Israel’s systematic campaign to silence journalists and media operations in the occupied Palestinian territories.
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Back in late October 2023, Israeli forces had also raided al-Lahham’s home, assaulted his wife and children, conducted a thorough search, and detained his two sons, Basil and Basel.
Meanwhile, Al Mayadeen correspondent Hanaa Mahamid continues to receive repeated threats from Israeli authorities in an ongoing attempt to suppress independent reporting from the occupied territories.
The Israeli government has renewed its ban on Al Mayadeen’s operations, confiscated broadcasting equipment, and blocked the network’s website as part of its broader crackdown on the media amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza and intensified attacks in the West Bank.
Fatah Movement spokesperson Munther al-Hayek told Al Mayadeen that al-Lahham’s arrest was intended to suppress press freedom and intimidate journalists.
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He added, “What Israel is doing in the Palestinian territories is happening with a green light from the United States.”
Al-Hayek also stressed that independent media coverage of Israel’s massacres in Gaza has made the Netanyahu government increasingly uneasy, prompting the use of repressive and intimidating tactics. [Nia]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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