The continued detention of Palestinian-American journalist Naqa'a Bajis Hamed by the Israeli occupation authorities constitutes a serious restriction on press freedom and raises concerns over the criminalization of legitimate journalistic work.

The absence of publicly disclosed evidence establishing a specific criminal act further raises concerns that Hamed is being prosecuted in connection with her journalism.

Background

Israeli forces arrested Hamed on 15 September at a temporary military checkpoint near Tuqu', southeast of Bethlehem, as she returned from a journalistic assignment in Masafer Yatta for the Turkish channel TRT. According to members of her crew, soldiers separated Hamed from her colleagues and questioned her about her reporting and professional activities before transferring her to Ariel police station. The two photographers accompanying her were released. Hamed works independently with 4D Media and is also a correspondent for the Iranian channel Press TV.

Israeli police announced that Hamed was being investigated on suspicion of “contact with the enemy,” “incitement,” and “supporting Iran.” Israeli military sources linked the case to her work for an Iranian media outlet. No indictment or publicly available evidence has been disclosed establishing that her journalistic activities constituted a criminal offence.

Her detention was initially extended until 23 September and was subsequently extended again until 28 September, according to Palestinian sources.

Employment by a foreign media outlet, regardless of its editorial policy or the state with which it is associated, does not by itself establish espionage or unlawful conduct. A journalist’s professional affiliation cannot substitute for evidence of a specific criminal act.

Institutional Position

Criminal provisions such as “contact with the enemy” and “incitement” must not be applied so broadly that legitimate journalistic activities—including information gathering, interviewing sources, photography, and reporting on matters of public interest—become grounds for prosecution. Any criminal case against Hamed must be based on a clearly defined offence and specific evidence, while respecting the presumption of innocence and her rights to legal representation and family contact.

The authorities must also ensure that Hamed is protected from coercion, ill-treatment, and retaliation linked to her journalistic work. Any proceedings against her must comply with international fair-trial guarantees, including judicial independence and impartiality.

Hamed’s case forms part of a broader pattern of arrests, detention, threats, physical attacks, and other restrictions affecting Palestinian journalists. As of 18 September 2026, the Committee to Protect Journalists had documented 117 arrests of journalists and media workers since 7 October 2023, including 111 carried out by Israeli authorities, with 40 still detained.

CPJ’s September 2026 review of 229 deaths of journalists and media workers in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory found that Israeli forces were responsible for the large majority of journalist killings worldwide since 2023. The review involved reassessment of individual cases and an external audit of CPJ’s methodology.

Journalists remain civilians under international humanitarian law when they are not taking direct part in hostilities. Intentionally directing attacks against civilians, including journalists protected as civilians, may constitute a war crime where the applicable legal elements are established.

Applicable Legal Framework

Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) protects the right to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas, while Articles 9 and 14 protect against arbitrary detention and guarantee fair-trial safeguards. Article 17 protects against arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy and correspondence. Article 79 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions provides specific protection to journalists engaged in dangerous professional missions in areas of armed conflict, while journalists who remain civilians are protected under the general rules of international humanitarian law. Article 8 of the Rome Statute establishes the relevant war-crime framework for intentionally directing attacks against protected civilians where the applicable conditions are met. UN Security Council Resolution 2222 (2015) calls on parties to armed conflict to respect international law concerning the protection of journalists and media professionals and to ensure accountability for crimes against them.

Demands Aligned with International Human Rights Principles

Women Journalists Without Chains
Geneva, Switzerland – 25 September 2026