Funeral of journalist Marwan Fathi Harzallah following the return of his body

On October 8, 2026, the body of Palestinian journalist and detainee Marwan Fathi Harzallah, his family's farewell in Nablus, and the arrangements for his burial.

Marwan Fathi Hussein Harzallah (مروان فتحي حسين حرز الله) was a 54-year-old Palestinian media worker employed by Palestine TV, the Palestinian Authority's television broadcaster. He lived in the al-Ein refugee camp in Nablus, in the occupied West Bank. He died in Israeli custody on 28 March 2026, after two months of administrative detention, and his body was retained by the IPS until Otober 8, 2026, eight months later.

On January 8, 2026, Israeli forces arrested Harzallah at his home in Zawata, near Nablus. Israeli authorities reportedly detained him on allegations of “incitement”; Palestinian sources say he was held in administrative detention, without a trial or sentence.

He had been shot by Israeli forces in 1995, reportedly during a protest, and had one foot amputated as a result. His family said he had no underlying health conditions before his arrest apart from complications related to that old injury.

On March 28, 2026, the IDF announced his death at Megiddo Prison in Israel. Palestinian prisoner organisations attributed his death to medical neglect and the denial of adequate healthcare. The circumstances require independent investigation; the Israeli Prison Service did not provide a case-specific explanation to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

On October 8, Israeli authorities returned Harzallah's body after withholding it. His relatives were seen bidding farewell to him at Rafidia Hospital in Nablus after the body was returned.