Hebron: Israeli forces arrested three Palestinians and a US journalist in separate incidents on Tuesday in the southern occupied West Bank, eyewitnesses reported. The arrests took place in two different locations, involving land ownership issues and media activity.

According to Anadolu Agency, the three Palestinians were detained while on land they own near Al-Majd village, south of Hebron. Eyewitnesses provided details of the incident, highlighting the ongoing tensions in the region. In a separate event, Israeli soldiers stopped a media crew at a military checkpoint near Tuqu, south of Bethlehem, detaining freelance journalist Naqa Hamed while releasing the rest of her team.

Naqa Hamed, a US citizen residing in Silwad, northeast of Ramallah, was returning from a filming assignment in Hebron when detained. Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that she works for Iranian state broadcaster Press TV. The paper cited Israeli military sources claiming Hamed's detention was linked to her work for the Iranian broadcaster, with potential investigations over alleged cooperation with an 'enemy organization' and possible espionage.

Hamed's family stated she was detained while returning from a reporting assignment in the West Bank, accusing Israel of targeting her for prior coverage of Qusra, a Palestinian town that has experienced attacks by Israeli occupiers. The broader context includes intensified Israeli military operations in the occupied West Bank since October 8, 2023, amid a wider conflict involving the Gaza Strip. These operations have been marked by reports of killings, arrests, forced displacement, home demolitions, and settlement expansion.