Israeli Forces Detain 3 Palestinians, US Journalist in West Bank
The three Palestinians were seized while present on land they own near Al-Majd village, south of Hebron, witnesses said.
In a separate incident, Israeli soldiers halted a media crew at a military checkpoint near Tuqu, south of Bethlehem, and took freelance journalist Naqa Hamed into custody while allowing the rest of the crew to go free. Hamed, a US citizen based in Silwad, northeast of Ramallah, was detained while returning from a filming assignment in Hebron.
An Israeli newspaper reported that Hamed works for Iran's state-run media and was stopped at a temporary checkpoint southeast of Bethlehem. Citing Israeli military sources, the outlet said she was detained specifically over her work for the Iranian broadcaster and could face investigation for alleged cooperation with what officials described as an "enemy organization," along with possible espionage charges.
Hamed's family disputed that account, saying she was detained while returning from a routine reporting assignment in the West Bank. They alleged Israel targeted her in connection with her earlier coverage of Qusra, a Palestinian town that has been the site of settler attacks.
The arrests come amid a broader escalation: Israeli forces have stepped up operations across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since the war in Gaza began on Oct. 8, 2023 — a campaign that has drawn reports of killings, arrests, forced displacement, home demolitions and expanded settlement activity.
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