Palestinian human rights defender Ghassan Najjar held in Israeli military detention
On 27 October 2026, at approximately 3:00 a.m, Israeli forces arrested Palestinian human rights defender and grassroots organiser, Ghassan Najjar at his home in Burin, South of Nablus, in the occupied West Bank. He was taken to the Huwwara Military Detention Centre near Nablus, where he remains in detention.
Ghassan Najjar is a Palestinian human rights defender, farmer and veteran grassroots organiser from Burin, South of Nablus. His work focuses on defending Palestinian farmer’s access to their agricultural land and strengthening community resilience in the face of Israeli occupation, settler violence and displacement. He is a co-founder of the Burin Land and Farming Cooperative, which promotes agroecology, food sovereignty, environmental justice and mutual aid. Ghassan Najjar’s other initiatives include the Burin Kite Festival and the creation of the Sumud Network.
Both form an important part of Palestinian resistance and reaffirm their connection to the land. Ghassan Najjar has spent nearly a decade in Israeli prisons, much of it under administrative detention, and has been subjected to a travel ban imposed by Israeli authorities since 2011. Despite this, he has continued his human rights work in support for Palestinian communities.
On 27 October 2026, at approximately 3:00 a.m, Israeli forces arrested Palestinian human rights defender and grassroots organiser, Ghassan Najjar at his home in Burin, South of Nablus, in the occupied West Bank. He was taken to the Huwwara Military Detention Centre near Nablus, where he remains in detention.
Ghassan Najjar is a Palestinian human rights defender, farmer and veteran grassroots organiser from Burin, South of Nablus. His work focuses on defending Palestinian farmer’s access to their agricultural land and strengthening community resilience in the face of Israeli occupation, settler violence and displacement. He is a co-founder of the Burin Land and Farming Cooperative, which promotes agroecology, food sovereignty, environmental justice and mutual aid. Ghassan Najjar’s other initiatives include the Burin Kite Festival and the creation of the Sumud Network. Both form an important part of Palestinian resistance and reaffirm their connection to the land.
Following his detention on 27 October 2026, Ghassan Najjar’s whereabouts were unknown for more than 36 hours. His lawyer was later informed that he would be brought to the Salem interrogation centre for questioning.
In the months prior to the detention of Ghassan Najjar, explicit threats had been made by agents from the Israeli internal security agency, Shin Bet, that he would be detained if he continued coordinating the olive harvest in the Nablus area.
Ghassan Najjar has faced repeated harassment and intimidation by Israeli authorities in connection with his human rights work and community organisation. According to information provided by the Sumud Network, he has spent nearly a decade in Israeli prisons, much of it under administrative detention. Since 2011, he has also been subjected to a travel ban imposed by the Shin Bet, preventing him from leaving the occupied West Bank. His family has likewise faced repeated threats and intimidation related to his human rights work.
Ghassan Najjar's detention takes place amid a sharp escalation in attacks against Palestinian farmers and their agricultural land during the 2026 olive harvest season. According to the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, Israeli forces and settlers carried out 3,133 attacks against Palestinians, their land and their property across the occupied West Bank during October 2026. This represents a 52.8% increase compared with the previous month. In the Nablus Governorate, where Ghassan Najjar has been organising olive-harvest activities, 636 attacks were recorded. The Commission also documented damage to 4,498 olive trees and many cases of olive fruit theft. They highlighted the systematic targeting of farmers through threats, destruction of crops and denial of access to agricultural land. This escalation reflects the targeting of Palestinian communities and those organising initiatives in order to protect their livelihoods and maintain presence on their land.
Front Line Defenders is seriously concerned about the arrest and detention of human rights defender Ghassan Najjar. The organisation believes that he has been targeted in direct connection to his legitimate and peaceful human rights work, in particular his support of Palestinian farmers and communities in accessing and protecting their land.
Front Line Defenders urges the Israeli authorities to:
- Immediately and unconditionally release human rights defender Ghassan Najjar;
- Pending his release, guarantee his physical and psychological integrity and ensure that he has unfettered access to his lawyer and family;
- End all forms of harassment and intimidation against Ghassan Najjar, his family and other Palestinian human rights defenders and grassroots organisers;
- Guarantee that all human rights defenders in the occupied West Bank are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities, including supporting farmers and communities facing settler violence and displacement, without fear of reprisals and free from all restrictions.
