Palestinian Journalist Working for Iran Detained by Israel on Suspicion of Espionage

Nakaa Hamad, a Palestinian national with U.S. citizenship who works for Iranian television, was detained on the evening of September 15 near the Israeli settlement of Tekoa, southeast of Bethlehem. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) sources stated that there is information indicating her collaboration with an enemy, potentially amounting to espionage. Iran's PressTV, where Hamad works and which also broadcasts in Hebrew on Telegram, reacted to the detention. Hamad's relatives claim she was reporting on damage inflicted upon Palestinians in the West Bank. Her mother stated, "My daughter became an Israeli target after she covered events in the village of Kusra." According to PressTV, Hamad was traveling with a film crew when Israeli forces stopped them at a checkpoint. The channel reported that the crew was searched, the cameramen were released, but Hamad was detained. PressTV also noted that Hamad was injured last December while reporting live from the Qalandia refugee camp.