By Grace Cardinal, Editor-in-Chief
Former staff writer for The Quadrangle and journalist Jeremy Loffredo ‘19 was arrested in Israel on Oct. 9 for reporting on the ongoing Gaza-Israel conflict, according to reports published on Oct. 10.
Currently an investigative journalist for The Grayzone, an independent news website, Loffredo was working on the ground in Israel reporting on the aftermath of Iranian attacks on Israeli military and intelligence targets in Gaza and Lebanon.
Loffredo was one of five journalists reportedly detained by the Israel Defense Force (IDF), per The Guardian. The charges brought against him include endangering national security and aiding and sharing information with the enemy – both of which can carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment or death, according to The Intercept.
As of Friday, Oct. 11, the judge overseeing the case ordered Loffredo’s release, but he remains barred from leaving the country. Police appealed the court decision granting him bail, but were denied. According to the Dissenter, Israeli police have custody of Loffredo’s phone and passport. As of now, it is expected he will be able to leave the country beginning Oct. 20.
“He [Loffredo] didn’t do anything original — he took it from different sources that were published already, all over, by Israeli and foreign journalists,” Lea Tsemel, Loffredo’s Israeli civil rights attorney, told The Intercept.
Defending Rights & Dissent, the Courage Foundation and Freedom of the Press Foundation wrote a letter today to the US Embassy in Jerusalem asking them to advocate for Loffredo.
“Loffredo’s actions were well within the standard realm of journalism and would have been protected by the First Amendment in the United States,” the letter stated. “Israel has imposed an anti-democratic regime of military censorship on Israeli and international journalists.”
“We ask you to urge the Israelis to respect Loffredo’s press freedom rights, drop the charges against him, return his passport and phone, refrain from searching his phone which may contain confidential sources, and permit him to leave Israel if he so chooses,” the letter continued.
The Grayzone also tweeted a statement regarding Loffredo’s detainment on the evening of Oct. 10.
“The Grayzone unequivocally rejects these outrageous accusations from Israeli police,” the statement said. “We stand by Jeremy’s legitimate reporting. The claim that Loffredo and The Grayzone represent Israel’s enemy in wartime merely suggests that the Israeli government views the American people and free press as a legitimate target.”
“We represent no one else. We will fight these charges, and ask that you contact the State Department and urge them to act in defense of their citizen detained in Israel. The US has an obligation to defend its journalists who are merely adhering to their ethical obligation to inform the public of pertinent facts,” the statement continued.
While the Grayzone has been at the center of controversy in the past, being accused of pro-Russian and Chinese propaganda, there is no indication that Loffredo broke any Israeli laws in his coverage of the Iranian strikes.
This is not the first time Israel has been a source of harm to international journalists. In the midst of the Israel-Gaza war, it has been confirmed by the Committee To Protect Journalists (CPJ) that 128 journalists have died in the conflict, with another 36 reported injured. Journalists who have been released following detainment with IDF, including Diaa Al-Kahlou and Moaz Amarna, have also spoken out about the horrific conditions they faced, including physical and psychological torture.
Since Hamas-led militant groups attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, an ongoing crisis has ensued in Gaza and, in recent weeks, in Lebanon. Since Oct. 7, Al Jazeera reported over 42,000 casualties out of Palestine and over 1,000 out of Israel. These numbers do not include the over 100,000 more injured. According to the BBC, a total of 97 hostages remain unaccounted for.
The devastation of this conflict only continues to rise. On Thursday, Oct. 10, Israeli strikes in Lebanon and Beirut killed at least 22 people and injured 117 others, as reported by AP News. In Gaza, the U.N. and World Bank said 72% of housing, 84% of health facilities and 92% of primary roads had been damaged or totally destroyed as of January 2024, causing $18.5 billion in damage to infrastructure, according to CBS News. The bombing has continued since.
As of now, the U.S. government has made no comment on Loffredo’s detainment.
This story is breaking. Stay tuned for updates.