Palestinian journalist Nake Hamed was detained by the Israeli army at a temporary checkpoint near the city of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.
Hamed, who also holds U.S. citizenship, works for Iran’s state television channel Press TV. Israeli army sources accused Hamed of cooperating with a hostile organization because of his work for an Iran-based media outlet.
Israeli authorities could make the journalist the subject of an investigation on suspicion of espionage. This does not mean that a final court ruling has been issued against Hamed.
Hamed’s family said Israeli soldiers detained the journalist while he was returning from a reporting assignment in the West Bank.
Family members also said Hamed had drawn the attention of Israeli authorities after reporting on the village of Kusra, which has been targeted by attacks by illegal Israeli settlers.