Israeli Court Frees Iranian TV Journalist Held on Espionage Suspicions

A Palestinian-American journalist working for Iran's Press TV, Naqaa Hamed, has been released from detention in Israel after nearly two weeks. She was held at the Damon prison in northern Israel on suspicion of collaborating with an enemy entity and potential espionage. A military court in Salem ordered her release on September 28.

Hamed, 38, a mother of three, was detained by Israeli soldiers on September 14 at a temporary checkpoint near Tekoa, southeast of Bethlehem, while returning from a filming assignment. While her camera crew was released after questioning, Hamed was taken for interrogation.

According to Israeli security sources cited by "Walla News," intelligence suggested Hamed might be cooperating with an enemy entity due to her work for the Iranian-linked Press TV. Espionage suspicions were also being investigated. Her detention was extended by a court until September 23.

Hamed has worked with various Arab media outlets and has been with Press TV since 2024. Press TV, reporting her release, claimed she was held without charges and called the espionage allegations baseless. However, Israeli authorities have not officially withdrawn their suspicions, and the circumstances of her detention and the nature of the security forces' concerns remain under investigation.