Israeli forces detain Palestinian-American journalist at checkpoint near Bethlehem

BETHLEHEM — Israeli occupation forces detained a Palestinian-American journalist on Tuesday evening at a military checkpoint southeast of Bethlehem, the Wafa news agency reportedPalestinian security sources said Israeli forces detained Naqaa Hamed while she was passing through a military checkpoint in Tequ’, as she returned from a reporting assignment in the occupied West Bank.Hamed covered violence by Israeli settlers toward Palestinians in the West Bank, including in the village of Qusra, where settlers trapped residents inside and refused to let in food or other supplies.Hamed “was abducted today at the Tequ’ checkpoint in Bethlehem while returning from covering the suffering of Palestinians,” her sister Fatima Bajes Salem wrote on Facebook.Soldiers arrested Hamed after stopping her and fellow reporters, said journalist Hamada Mansour, who was traveling with her.He told AFP that Hamed’s colleagues were allowed to leave. He added that she was working for Turkish public broadcaster TRT.Media reports said Hamed also worked until recently for Iranian English-speaking broadcaster Press TV, which reported on the arrest.According to Mansour, Hamed was a freelance journalist who no longer worked for the outlet.Israel’s largest news site Ynet cited unidentified Israeli military sources as saying Hamed is suspected of “cooperating with an enemy entity and may also be under suspicion of espionage.”Israeli forces also set up a military checkpoint in the al-Jurn area of Battir village, west of Bethlehem, where they searched Palestinians’ vehicles and checked their identities.