“Israeli” Forces Arrest Al-Mayadeen Bureau Chief in WB

By Staff, Agencies

“Israeli” occupation forces [IOF] arrested Nasser Al-Lahham, director of Al Mayadeen’s office in occupied Palestine, on Monday, during a pre-dawn raid on his home in Beit Lahm, southern West Bank.

Local sources reported that the arrest was accompanied by deliberate acts of vandalism, as IOF stormed Al-Lahham’s residence, smashing furniture and confiscating personal mobile phones belonging to him and his family.

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 several implications, most notably an effort to target Al-Mayadeen Network for conveying a narrative that challenges the ‘Israeli’ version of events surrounding the ongoing genocide [in Gaza].”

The move is part of a wider campaign against journalists in occupied Palestine; in October 2023, the IOF raided al-Lahham’s home, assaulted his family, and detained his two sons.

Meanwhile, Al Mayadeen’s correspondent Hanaa Mahamid continues to face repeated threats by "Israel" in an attempt to suppress independent media coverage from the occupied territories.

The "Israeli" entity has renewed its ban on Al Mayadeen’s operations, confiscated its broadcasting equipment, and blocked its websites, in a crackdown against the network, amid the continued genocide in the Gaza Strip and the broad assault on the West Bank.

Munther Al-Hayek, spokesperson for the Fatah Movement, told Al-Mayadeen that the IOF’s arrest of Nasser al-Lahham aims to suppress the press and intimidate journalists.

Al-Hayek added, “What 'Israel' is doing in the Palestinian territories is happening with a green light from the United States.”

He also emphasized that the free press’s coverage of "Israeli" massacres in Gaza has unsettled "Israel", prompting it to resort to repressive and terror tactics.