{"id":288259,"date":"2026-09-17T16:44:07","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T16:44:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/288259\/"},"modified":"2026-09-17T16:44:07","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T16:44:07","slug":"cpj-demands-release-of-arrested-palestinian-us-journalist-near-bethlehem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/288259\/","title":{"rendered":"CPJ demands release of arrested Palestinian-US journalist near Bethlehem"},"content":{"rendered":"

Amman September 17, 2026 \u2014 The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Israeli authorities to immediately release Palestinian-American journalist Naqaa Hamed<\/a>, arrested<\/a> on Tuesday<\/a> at a temporary Israeli army checkpoint in the village of Tuqu, near Bethlehem<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hamed, a freelancer with the local 4D Media production company, was returning from a work assignment for Turkish state broadcaster TRT in Masaffer Yatta near Hebron, according to the operations director at 4D Media, Youssef Khallaf, and the two cameramen who were with her and were later released, Wissam Hajouj and Hamada Mansour.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hamed is also a correspondent for the Iranian-affiliated broadcaster Press TV.<\/a><\/p>\n

Hajouj told CPJ that soldiers photographed the crew before interrogating Hamed separately. Before she was led away, Hajouj briefly interacted with Hamed,\u00a0 telling him that soldiers were questioning\u00a0 her about her reporting and journalistic work.<\/p>\n

Bashar Abed, Hamed\u2019s husband, told CPJ in a phone interview that there was an online campaign calling for his wife\u2019s arrest due to her work. He added that she was taken to Ariel Police Station, near Salfit.<\/p>\n

CPJ reviewed online<\/a> posts<\/a> linking Hamed to Iran and calling for her detention over her reporting on the siege of Qusra village, near Nablus. In a post published four weeks prior, an online account openly questioned why the journalist had not yet been arrested.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsraeli authorities should immediately free Hamed and publicly clarify the legal basis for her detention,\u201d said<\/a> Sara Qudah, CPJ regional director. \u201cUnsubstantiated espionage allegations must not be used to criminalize journalism, and the systemic harassment and intimidation targeting her work in the occupied West Bank must end.\u201d<\/p>\n

On September 17, Israeli Salem military court <\/a>extended Hamed\u2019s detention until September 23, pending further investigation.<\/p>\n

According to Ynet, <\/a>military sources indicated that \u201cthere was information implicating her in cooperation with an enemy entity because of her work for the Iranian broadcaster, and that the case may also involve suspected espionage.\u201d<\/p>\n

CPJ emailed the Israeli military for evidence for alleged espionage claims, reasons for the journalist\u2019s arrest and her current whereabouts and condition. The military did not reply by the time of publication.<\/p>\n

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