Israeli army arrests 3 Palestinians, US journalist in southern West Bank

RAMALLAH, Palestine (MNTV) – Israeli forces arrested three Palestinians and a US journalist in separate incidents Tuesday in the southern occupied West Bank, according to eyewitnesses.

The three Palestinians were detained while on land they own near Al-Majd village, south of Hebron, witnesses told Anadolu.

Separately, Israeli soldiers stopped a media crew at a military checkpoint near Tuqu, south of Bethlehem, and detained freelance journalist Naqa Hamed while releasing the rest of the team.

Hamed, a US citizen who lives in Silwad, northeast of Ramallah, was returning from a filming assignment in Hebron when she was detained.

Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Hamed works for Iranian state broadcaster Press TV and was detained at a temporary checkpoint southeast of Bethlehem.

Citing Israeli military sources, the newspaper claimed she was detained over her work for the Iranian broadcaster and could face an investigation over alleged cooperation with what they described as an “enemy organization” and possible espionage.

Hamed’s family said she was detained while returning from a reporting assignment in the West Bank and accused Israel of targeting her over previous coverage of Qusra, a Palestinian town that has faced attacks by Israeli occupiers.

Israeli forces have intensified operations in the occupied West Bank since Oct. 8, 2023, when they began a genocidal war on Gaza. The operations include occupied East Jerusalem, with reports of killings, arrests, forced displacement, home demolitions and settlement expansion.