Press TV Condemns Abduction of West Bank Correspondent

By Staff, Agencies

Press TV has condemned the reported abduction of its West Bank correspondent, Naqaa Hamed, by "Israeli" occupation forces, describing the incident as an organized and illegal operation aimed at silencing independent reporting.

In a statement, the Iran-based news network demanded Hamed’s immediate, unconditional, and safe release. It said the Palestinian-American journalist, a wife and mother of three, was abducted and taken to an unknown location on September 15, 2026.

According to Press TV, Hamed was traveling with her media team when she was stopped at a checkpoint near the Tuqu' settlement southeast of Bethlehem.

The network said she was subjected to a search and forcibly separated from her camera crew before being detained.

Press TV described the incident as the latest development in what it called a targeted campaign of intimidation against Hamed. It said she had previously been struck by rubber bullets while reporting live from Qalandia camp in December 2025 and was injured again by stun grenades and tear gas in August 2026.

The network also accused accounts affiliated with the "Israeli" regime of conducting a cyber smear campaign against Hamed beginning in late August.

It said the accounts falsely portrayed her as an “agent of propaganda” and part of an alleged Iranian media influence operation.

Press TV argued that the campaign was intended to create justification for her detention and prevent her from reporting on conditions in Palestinian communities.

It described her detention as a violation of international law and cited Article 79 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, UN Security Council Resolutions 2222 and 1738, and Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The network placed full responsibility for Hamed’s physical and mental well-being on the "Israeli" army and called on the United Nations, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, and international human rights organizations to take immediate action.

Press TV urged international bodies to address what it described as a policy of forced disappearances targeting journalists and to secure Hamed’s release.