Hatem Hamdan, 25, has been held by Israeli forces since February 5 under administrative detention, a policy allowing imprisonment without charge or trial. His mother, Fatima Hamdan, told Al Jazeera this is his second arrest, following an eight-month detention in 2023.

She described Hatem as a kind and beloved young man who worked as a freelance journalist with several media outlets. He studied journalism at Birzeit University before starting his career. According to the rights group Addameer, administrative detention relies on secret files inaccessible to detainees or their lawyers, with orders renewable indefinitely every six months.

Fatima stressed that her son, like many Palestinian youth, aspired to build a future and marry, but repeated arrests shattered those hopes. She said his detention reflects the broader suppression of press freedom, as journalists are jailed simply for practicing their profession.

She called for urgent intervention to secure his release, emphasizing that Hatem committed no offense beyond his reporting. Since the war on Gaza began in October 2023, Israel has intensified violations in the West Bank, including daily raids, shootings, and mass arrests. Palestinian data shows 1,162 killed, over 12,000 injured, and nearly 23,000 detained since then.