Israeli forces detain Palestinian-American journalist in West Bank

Israeli military forces detained Naqaa Hamed, a Palestinian-American journalist, at a military checkpoint southeast of Bethlehem in the West Bank. The incident occurred while Hamed was returning from a reporting assignment in Hebron. While her colleagues were permitted to continue their journey, Hamed was taken into custody.

Reports regarding her professional affiliations vary. Some sources indicate she has worked for the Iranian state broadcaster Press TV, while others state she was working for the Turkish public broadcaster TRT or working as a freelancer. Israeli media outlets, citing unidentified military sources, reported that Hamed is under suspicion of “cooperating with an enemy entity” and potential espionage, though no independent evidence for these claims has been released.

Hamed’s family and colleagues stated the detention is linked to her journalistic coverage of Palestinian suffering and settler violence in the West Bank, including reports from the village of Qusra. Her current location and the specific reasons for her detention remain unconfirmed.