Court ruling8/30/2026

Military Court Releases Palestinian Shepherd From Administrative Detention

A military judge accepted the appeal of Thabet Masalmeh, 25, and ordered his release after approximately one month of detention without trial. The original administrative detention order was valid until January 2027.

Key facts

•Detainee: Thabet Masalmeh, 25
•Detention without trial: approximately one month
•Administrative detention: about three weeks
•Original validity of the order: until January 2027
•Publication: August 30, 2026
•The case number is not provided in the source

Who Was Arrested

Thabet Masalmeh is a Palestinian shepherd from the village of Khirbet al-Marajem, south of Nablus. In total, he was held in detention without trial for approximately one month, including about three weeks in administrative detention.

The Military's Position

The military claimed that Masalmeh was involved in “violent incidents during confrontations with settlers.” According to the source, Masalmeh himself and residents of his village are regularly subjected to attacks by settlers.

What the Court Decided

The military judge accepted the appeal and annulled the original order shortly after it was issued, ordering Masalmeh’s release. The source notes that such a swift release from administrative detention is considered extremely rare. The case number, the court’s precise name, the date of the decision, and its detailed legal reasoning are not provided in the source.

What this means for you

The decision shows that a military judge can annul an administrative detention order following an appeal even before the end of the period stipulated in it. However, the source describes such a swift release as extremely rare and does not detail the legal criteria the court applied in this case.

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