Mujahid Bani Mufleh

Mujahid Bani Mufleh is a Palestinian journalist from the West Bank. He has been imprisoned three times by Israeli occupation forces in 2015, 2020, and 2025, without a trial or any charges. His third detention resulted in a multitude of physical injuries, including a brain hemorrhage. A side-by-side comparison of pre- and post-release selfies of himself, which showed his severely deteriorated condition, went viral in June 2026.

Mufleh has worked at a variety of outlets, such as Al-Quds and UltraPalestine, reporting on topics such as the illegal Israeli occupation of the West Bank.

Early life and education Mufleh is the son of Muhammad Bani Mufleh. He has lived in Beitunia and Beita.

Mufleh studied journalism at the Institute of Modern Media at Al-Quds University. He has three children.

Career Muflih is a journalist by trade and has worked for a variety of media outlets. He previously worked in news reporting and radio presenting. the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, the Gaza war, and the plight of Palestinians in Israeli custody, as well as international relations in the Middle East. He has also published human-interest stories, such as a profile on a Palestinian prisoner who worked as a barber at the infamous Megiddo prison, or another about a math teacher who was awarded the title of "Teacher of Palestine" in 2021. In 2022, Muflih published a profile about a Palestinian emigrant to Sweden who wrote a children's book about Palestine to share with his children after he was unable to find one.

Arrests and imprisonment

First arrest (2015) Mufleh was arrested for the first time by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in 2015; he was taken into custody on 19 January after a large group of soldiers raided, searched, and ransacked his home in Beitunia. in addition to working for the Al-Akhbar newspaper and the Zaman Press Agency. Mufleh was released on 5 February, without being charged with any crimes. The arrest was similarly condemned by other media unions and organizations like the Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate (PJS), which urged international institutions to demand his release, and the Palestinian Youth Media Forum. At the time, Muflih worked for Al-Quds and UltraPalestine. but he was not charged with any crimes and ultimately released.

On 10 April 2023, Mufleh covered a demonstration by several thousand Israeli ultra-nationalists, including government ministers and legislators, to demand recognition of an illegal Israeli settlement south of Nablus. He was one of several Palestinian journalists who were deliberately targeted by Israeli soldiers with teargas in the town of Beita, despite wearing identifiable press vests, while attempting to help a colleague who had been injured by a rubber bullet. "Anyone who tried to move or get closer to film the march was liable to have teargas fired at them," said Mufleh. Several videos of the attack were recorded. Reporters Without Borders called on Israel "to end its systematic attacks on Palestinian journalists, which are encouraged by impunity."

In December 2024, Mufleh was summoned for questioning by Palestinian security forces in Ramallah, specifically regarding coverage of the Palestinian Authority operation in Jenin.

Third arrest (2025–2026) On 28 June 2025, Mufleh was violently arrested during a raid of his home in Beita by a large group of Israeli soldiers, which occurred around 3:30 a.m. The soldiers beat him, smashed his home office, and photographed his social media pages before transporting him to a military detention center in Huwara.

In July 2025, Mufleh was sentenced to four months of administrative detention by the Israeli military court in Salim. He was held at the Menashe prison, located within the Salem military camp. In December, his administrative detention was extended again for an additional two months.

During his detention, Mufleh was subjected to regular beatings, particularly to his head and back, and especially during transfers between prison cells. and lost around during his detention.

Mufleh was released from detention on 11 January 2026. However, his health quickly deteriorated, suffering severe headaches, extreme fatigue, and difficulty breathing. Mufleh was rushed to the Istishari Arab Hospital in Ramallah, (Sources conflict over how soon he was hospitalized after his release from detention, ranging from one to three days.) He underwent a successful emergency brain surgery to relieve pressure from his brain, but fell into a coma.

I never forgot that I was a journalist. Throughout my detention, I kept thinking that one day I would tell the stories of those who could no longer speak for themselves. But time never gave me that chance. Before I could write about the tortured, I suffered a stroke. And instead of writing their stories, I became the story.–Mufleh speaking to Middle East Eye in June 2026

Heavy days in which I experienced hunger until bread became a dream, and thirst until a sip of water became a blessing. I endured forms of humiliation and torture capable of changing the features of the soul before the body. There, between the cold walls and the long nights, I learned how hunger can break pride, and how pain can strip a person of everything except faith and patience.–Mufleh recounting his detention in a June 2026 Facebook post

In June 2026, following months of treatment, Similarly, Middle East Eye described Mufleh as "gaunt and frail, his face hollow, his eyes sunken, looking years older than when he entered prison."

The Asra Media Office described his case as a "deferred execution" or "slow killing", stating that it held the IDF "fully and directly responsible" for his condition. The group also linked his case to the widespread mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners and journalists by Israel "in a clear attempt to suppress the Palestinian narrative and silence those who document the crimes" of the Gaza genocide. Journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin wrote: "The images speak to a system designed to break Palestinian bodies as much as silence Palestinian voices: starvation, abuse, humiliation, and imprisonment without accountability."

In an interview with the Anadolu Agency from his hospital bed, Mufleh said he posted the image of himself despite objections from his friends because he "wanted to show people the truth" about his condition. "I miss the old Mujahid," he said in late June. "My wife and children are always around me, and they hope I will return to the way I was."

Despite his condition, Mufleh told Middle East Eye that he wanted to keep his promise of telling the stories of his fellow detainees, such as Samir al-Rifai and Ahmad Taza'zah, both of whom died due to torture sustained.