Jeremy Loffredo, a journalist for Grayzone and a U.S. citizen, has been beaten, detained, and charged with “aiding the enemy” by Israeli occupation forces—a charge that carries the death penalty under Israeli law. Loffredo was targeted for his reporting, which the far-right Netanyahu government found unfavorable.
Loffredo’s investigative work includes exposing Israeli settlers, with government support, blocking humanitarian aid intended for Gaza. He also revealed that missiles from Iran’s retaliatory strike last week managed to hit Israeli military targets, with some landing near Mossad’s headquarters—contradicting Israeli government claims that no missiles reached their targets.
After being blindfolded, beaten, and detained for four days, Loffredo was released on Friday afternoon. However, he now faces serious charges and has been restricted from leaving or traveling within the country. Although his findings were reported by Israeli media, no Israeli journalists have faced similar charges, and none of the information Loffredo revealed endangered lives. The arrest was reportedly justified by a video Israel used as evidence.
The Israeli government initially denied that Iranian missiles had hit military targets, restricting media from covering the damage. Along with its allies, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Israel attempted to frame Iran’s retaliation as an attack on civilians, even though no civilian deaths occurred, unlike the widespread casualties in Gaza and Lebanon caused by Israeli strikes.
Despite appeals from free speech and press freedom organizations, the U.S. government has remained silent regarding Israel’s actions against Loffredo, a U.S. citizen. This crackdown on journalists is part of a broader trend, as similar arrests of journalists and activists have been seen in the UK under the government of Keir Starmer, a staunch supporter of Zionism.
