The 3,600 Forgotten Palestinian Hostages, or “Administrative Detainees”

Israel currently holds ~3,615 Palestinians hostages, also known as “administrative detainees.” This is the term used to describe them by Israel and the rest of the world, including politicians, the media and even human rights organizations.

“Administrative detention” is a strange way of putting it, though. Did the detainees commit “administrative” violations? Operating a motor vehicle without a driver’s license? Digging a well without paperwork? Traveling without a visa?

No, they have not committed “administrative” offenses. Indeed, Israeli apartheid forces present no reason at all. And since they aren’t being charged with a crime, they cannot present a legal defense. They are detained on the basis of secret evidence that they might commit a crime in the future.

Israel’s apologists insist they have links to “terrorist” organizations or that, simply said, they are “terrorists”. If so, then why aren’t they charged with terrorism? In fact, Israel holds thousands more prisoners it classifies as "security prisoners”, "security detainees” or  "unlawful combatants". So Israel could have charged the “administrative detainees” with security offenses, but they didn’t do that. 

There’s another reason why the term hostage is appropriate. Palestinian hostages have a lot in common with Israeli hostages: 

(1) They were abducted from their homes in the early hours of the morning, just like the Israeli hostages.

(2) They are held captive in abysmal conditions, just like (some of) the Israeli hostages [although, to be sure, while some of the released Israeli hostages reported humane treatment by their captors (1, 2), it is impossible to find similar testimony among the released Palestinian hostages].

(3) Many were taken as bargaining chips in a prisoner swap, just like the Israeli hostages.

Here are 12 of their stories:

Mohammed Ahmad Al-Sabar

In May 2022, Israeli forces abducted Mohammed Ahmad Al-Sabar, 21, for "incitement on social media." [Note that, for Israel, posts such as “there are also women, children and elderly in Gaza" can constitute "incitement and encouragement of terrorism"]. Israel extended his administrative detention 5 times. While in prison, his medical conditions and special dietary needs were completely neglected. Israeli prison authorities murdered him in Feb 2024. The autopsy report determined that his death was preventable had his medical needs been met. 

Mohammad Muna

On June 2, 2023, Israeli forces abducted the journalist Mohammed Muna, 41, from his home in Nablus for the 7th time (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). He worked as the director of the location radio station "Hawa Nablus" and as a correspondent for the Quds Press Agency in the Zawata region. Before Oct. 7th, Israeli forces held him in Megiddo prison in the north of Israel. On December 27, six months after his most recent abduction, Israel’s apartheid courts extended his detention for another six months. His whereabouts are currently unknown despite several petitions to the Supreme Court.

Farouq Issa Khateeb 

In late August 2023, Israeli forces abducted a healthy young man, Farouq Issa Khateeb and placed in administrative detention for 4 months. He was beaten badly in the stomach by his Israeli captors, then denied medical treatment. Doctors determined he had terminal stomach cancer before he was even released from prison. He was robbed of his life on May 19th, 2024.

Nidal Al-Wahidi

On Oct. 7, Israeli forces kidnapped the journalist Nidal Al-Wahidi from Al-Najah TV station while he was covering the Hamas attack on Israel near Beit Hanoun checkpoint. He has been held hostage since. Israel refuses to disclose his whereabouts.

Moazaz Obaiat 

In late Oct. '23, Israeli forces abducted the healthy father of 5, Moazaz Obaiat from Bethlehem. He was beaten badly in captivity and witnessed 17 other prisoners murdered in captivity.  He could barely walk when released, having been tortured & starved. He was released  in July '24, without being charged with any crime

Khalida Jarrar

On 26 Dec. 2023, Israeli forces abducted the politician & scholar Khalida Jarrar, 61. They just renewed her "administrative detention" again. At the time of writing, she has been held in solitary confinement for 7 straight days without providing any reason at all for such cruel treatment. The prominent human rights and feminist activist has spent ~5.5 years in Israeli prisons. Jarrar’s daughter passed away during her previous detention and thus she was not even able to say goodbye to her.

Omar al-Khatib

On 1 March 2024, Israeli forces abducted the researcher and activist Omar al-Khatib, a research partner at The Institute of Development Studies, affiliated with the University of Sussex in Brighton, UK. In June 2024, his sentence was just extended for four months. Al-Khatib had previously been beaten and arrested by Israeli forces after having protested the forced displacement of Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah in May 2021. 

Layan Nasir

On April 7, 2024, the women’s rights activist Layan Nasir was kidnapped from her home at 4am by the Israeli military. Layan graduated from Birzeit University with a degree in nutrition and a minor in business administration, and she worked in a women’s development NGO before her abduction. Her detention was recently renewed for another 4 months. “Layan gives a very positive energy to all the prisoners…one of the prisoners is very sick and Layan helps her."

Muhammad Arab

In March '24, Israeli forces kidnapped Al-Araby journalist Muhammad Arab. In prison, he is blindfolded 24/7 and had his hands tied 24/7, forced to sleep hunched over on the floor without any bedding. His iron handcuffs are removed once a week for 1 minute to take a shower. But many prisoners have been refusing to take a shower because “they don’t have watches, and going beyond the allotted minute exposes prisoners to severe punishments, including hours outside in the heat or rain.” Arab has been informed by his Israeli captors that his detention had been extended “indefinitely.”

Ayman Gharib 

On August 12, 2024, Israeli forces abducted journalist and activist Ayman Gharib (aka Ayman Ghryeeb or Ghraieb). His alleged crime was “incitement on social media”, even though his social media posts (e.g. 1, 2, 3)  are reports on settler violence and Israeli military assaults on Palestinians in the West Bank. He’s inciting people to reject apartheid!

Bara’a Fuqaha

On August 14, 2024, Israeli forces abducted medical student Bara’a Fuqaha, 24, at a checkpoint near Nablus, and sentenced her to 6 months in prison. She was previously suspended from al-Quds University, for 6 months for student union activities.  

Dania Hanatsheh 

On August 18, 2024, Israeli forces stormed the home of Birzeit University student Dania Hanatsheh and kidnapped her again after she was released in the Nov 2023 prisoner swap. In this clip, she tells the story of another Palestinian hostage she met in prison named Iman. Iman was extremely distraught, more so than other prisoners. Hanatsheh explains that Iman was abducted while she was with her infant baby boy, and she was to abandon her child on the side of the road in Gaza. The fate of her infant remains unknown.