Well-known Palestinian journalist detained by Israeli police over alleged ‘incitement'
Israeli police are seeking to keep a well-known Palestinian journalist in detention in Jerusalem on charges related to 'incitement' and 'support of terrorism,' despite an Israeli judge ordering her release on Monday.
Latifeh Abdellatif is a freelance photojournalist whose work has appeared in Reuters, ABC News, BBC, Al Jazeera and TRT, according to her Instagram account biography.
Israeli police said that she was apprehended at her home in the Old City on Sunday by Jerusalem District Police officers 'on suspicion of incitement and support for terrorism.'
Abdellatif denies the charges.
In a statement, police pointed to Abdellatif's posting of a video of late Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in which he says he wants to die as a 'martyr.'
'In these and other posts, it is evident that the suspect praises and glorifies the actions of terrorist organizations,' the statement said.
Abdellatif appeared via video link at a magistrates' court in Jerusalem on Monday, where a judge denied a police request to detain her for an additional five days in order to continue interrogations and investigation. At one point during the hearing, Abdellatif smiled and made a heart-shaped gesture with her hands.
'The court found that based on her work as a journalist and based on the defense that these posts are part of her professional work, and that the posts are more than six months old, there is no need for keeping her in detention and she doesn't create a danger to the public,' Abdellatif's lawyer Nasser Odeh told CNN after the hearing.
Odeh said the judge ordered Abdellatif's release 'under restrictive conditions.'
He said this included 2,000 Israeli shekels ($550) to be paid for bail and another 10,000 shekels as a guarantee that she would show up once called in for investigation.
However, Israeli police immediately appealed the decision, seeking to stop her release.
'The police have requested to freeze the decision of the release until they submit an appeal with the central court. Right now, the release decision has been frozen until the appeal process goes into effect,' the lawyer said.
Odeh told CNN that Abdellatif had been interrogated for three hours on Sunday 'about social media posts that are part of her professional work as a journalist.'
Abdellatif lives and works in Jerusalem. She has in the past reported on the tensions around access to the al-Aqsa mosque compound, monitoring clashes between Israeli police and Palestinian worshippers in the Old City.
CNN has witnessed her being harassed by Israeli security forces in the Old City on several occasions in the past, including being physically pushed aside and verbally abused. None of the occasions witnessed by CNN involved Abdellatif doing anything other than quietly standing on the side and using her camera to capture the events.
Abdellatif's mother told CNN on Monday her daughter is a working single mother to a 7-year-old son and that she 'has all the beautiful things in her character.'
Several of Abdellatif's colleagues described her as 'professional' and 'dedicated.' One said she was 'very kind and goes out of her way to help everyone, is respectable, and has good manners.'
One journalist told CNN that reporters in Jerusalem 'are more concerned and afraid to cover the news that deals with Palestinian matters because it can easily be brought upon us as an incitement charge.'
Another journalist said that Jerusalem-based reporters feel 'targeted by Israel security after the (October 7 Hamas attacks) for the smallest things.'
None of the journalists wanted to be named for fear of repercussions.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said that since the start of the war in Gaza, an 'unprecedented' number of journalists and media workers have been arrested in what they and their attorneys say is retaliation for their journalism and commentary.
As of March 13, 2025, CPJ had documented a total of 75 arrests of journalists in the occupied West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem. Israel arrested 70; Palestinian authorities arrested five, it said.
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned Abdellatif's arrest on Monday. In a statement, the syndicate said Israeli security authorities 'have arrested and expelled eight journalists from the Old City and al-Aqsa Mosque since the beginning of this month.'
CNN's Kara Fox contributed reporting.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
33 minutes ago
- USA Today
Trump administration weighs adding 36 countries to travel ban, memo says
Trump administration weighs adding 36 countries to travel ban, memo says WASHINGTON, June 15 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is considering significantly expanding its travel restrictions by potentially banning citizens of 36 additional countries from entering the United States, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters. Earlier this month, the Republican president signed a proclamation that banned the entry of citizens from 12 countries, saying the move was needed to protect the United States against "foreign terrorists" and other national security threats. The directive was part of an immigration crackdown Trump launched this year at the start of his second term, which has included the deportation to El Salvador of hundreds of Venezuelans suspected of being gang members, as well as efforts to deny enrollments of some foreign students from U.S. universities and deport others. In an internal diplomatic cable signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department outlined a dozen concerns about the countries in question and sought corrective action. "The Department has identified 36 countries of concern that might be recommended for full or partial suspension of entry if they do not meet established benchmarks and requirements within 60 days," the cable sent out over the weekend said. The cable was first reported by the Washington Post. More: Travel bans, visa crackdowns and deportations: What to know as Trump bars the door Among the concerns the State Department raised was the lack of a competent or cooperative government by some of the countries mentioned to produce reliable identity documents, the cable said. Another was "questionable security" of that country's passport. Some countries, the cable said, were not cooperative in facilitating the removal of its nationals from the United States who were ordered to be removed. Some countries were overstaying the U.S. visas their citizens were being granted. Other reasons for concern were the nationals of the country were involved in acts of terrorism in the United States, or antisemitic and anti-American activity. The cable noted that not all of these concerns pertained to every country listed. More: 'It's scary': Travelers caught off guard as travel ban rules come into effect "We are constantly reevaluating policies to ensure the safety of Americans and that foreign nationals follow our laws," a senior State Department official said, declining to comment on specific internal deliberations and communications. "The Department of State is committed to protecting our nation and its citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process," the official said. The countries that could face a full or a partial ban if they do not address these concerns within the next 60 days are: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cote D'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. That would be a significant expansion of the ban that came into effect earlier this month. The countries affected were Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The entry of people from seven other countries - Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela - has also been partially restricted. During his first in office, Trump announced a ban on travelers from seven Muslim-majority nations, a policy that went through several iterations before it was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. (Reporting by Humeyra PamukEditing by Bill Berkrot)
USA Today
44 minutes ago
- USA Today
Sen. Tim Kaine moves to limit Trump's war powers on Iran
Patricia Zengerle Reuters WASHINGTON, June 16 (Reuters) - A Democratic senator introduced legislation on Monday to prevent President Donald Trump from using military force against Iran without Congress's authorization, as an escalating battle between Israel and Iran raised fears of broader conflict. Tim Kaine of Virginia has tried for years to wrest back Congress's authority to declare war from the White House. During Trump's first term, in 2020, Kaine introduced a similar resolution to rein in Trump's ability to wage war against Iran. That measure passed both the Senate and House of Representatives, winning some Republican support, but did not garner enough votes to survive the Republican president's veto. Kaine said his latest war powers resolution underscores that the U.S. Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the sole power to declare war and requires that any hostility with Iran be explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for the use of military force. "It is not in our national security interest to get into a war with Iran unless that war is absolutely necessary to defend the United States. I am deeply concerned that the recent escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran could quickly pull the United States into another endless conflict," Kaine said in a statement. Under U.S. law, war powers resolutions are privileged, meaning that the Senate will be required to promptly consider and vote on the matter. Israel's military launched attacks on Iran on Friday with the stated aim of wiping out Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Iran, which says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, responded with missile attacks on Israel. Both countries have kept up their attacks, killing and wounding civilians and raising concern among world leaders meeting in Canada this week that the biggest battle between the two old enemies could lead to a broader regional conflict. Trump has lauded Israel's offensive while denying Iranian allegations that the U.S. has taken part and warning Tehran not to widen its retaliation to include U.S. targets. Before leaving for the summit in Canada on Sunday, Trump was asked what he was doing to de-escalate the situation. "I hope there's going to be a deal. I think it's time for a deal," he told reporters. "Sometimes they have to fight it out." (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Saad Sayeed)
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Iran missile attacks on Israel kills 5, while Israel claims it now has air superiority over Tehran
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Iran fired a new wave of missile attacks on Israel early Monday, killing at least five people, while Israel claimed in the fourth day of the conflict that it had now achieved 'aerial superiority' over Tehran and could fly over the Iranian capital with impunity. After days of attacks on Iranian air defenses and missile systems, the Israeli military said its aircraft now control the skies from western Iran to Tehran and had destroyed more than 120 surface-to-surface missile launchers that had been firing at Israel in overnight missions. 'Now we can say that we have achieved full air supremacy in the Tehran airspace,' said military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin. Iran, meantime, announced it had launched some 100 missiles and vowed further retaliation for Israel's sweeping attacks on its military and nuclear infrastructure, which have killed at least 224 people in the country since last Friday. One missile fell near the American consulate in Tel Aviv, causing minor damage, U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee said on X. There were no injuries to American personnel. Iran announced it had launched some 100 missiles and vowed further retaliation for Israel's sweeping attacks on its military and nuclear infrastructure, which have killed at least 224 people in the country since last Friday. Israel said so far 24 people have been killed and more than 500 injured as Iran launched more than 370 missiles and hundreds of drones. In response the Israeli military said fighter jets had struck 10 command centers in Tehran belonging to Iran's Quds Force, an elite arm of its Revolutionary Guard that conducts military and intelligence operations outside Iran. Powerful explosions, likely from Israel's defense systems intercepting Iranian missiles, rocked Tel Aviv shortly before dawn on Monday, sending plumes of black smoke into the sky over the coastal city. Authorities in the central Israeli city of Petah Tikva said that Iranian missiles had hit a residential building there, charring concrete walls, shattering windows and ripping the walls off multiple apartments. The Israeli Magen David Adom emergency service reported that two women and two men — all in their 70s — and one other person were killed in the wave of missile attacks that struck four sites in central Israel. 'We clearly see that our civilians are being targeted,' said Israeli police spokesman Dean Elsdunne outside the bombed-out building in Petah Tikva. 'And this is just one scene. We have other sites like this near the coast, in the south.' Petah Tikva resident Yoram Suki rushed with his family to a shelter after hearing an air raid alert, and emerged after it was over to find his apartment destroyed. 'Thank God we were OK,' the 60-year-old said. Despite losing his home, he urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to keep up the attacks on Iran. 'It's totally worth it,' he said. 'This is for the sake of our children and grandchildren.' In addition to those killed, the MDA said paramedics had evacuated another 87 wounded people to hospitals, including a 30-year-old woman in serious condition, while rescuers were still searching for residents trapped beneath the rubble of their homes. 'When we arrived at the scene of the rocket strike, we saw massive destruction,' said Dr. Gal Rosen, a paramedic with MDA who said he had rescued a 4-day-old baby as fires blazed from the building. During an earlier barrage of Iranian missiles on central Israel on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Iran will stop its strikes if Israel does the same. But after a day of intensive Israeli aerial attacks that extended targets beyond military installations to hit oil refineries and government buildings, the Revolutionary Guard struck a hard line on Monday, vowing that further rounds of strikes would be 'more forceful, severe, precise and destructive than previous ones.' Health authorities also reported that 1,277 were wounded in Iran, without distinguishing between military officials and civilians. Rights groups, like the Washington-based Iranian advocacy group called Human Rights Activists, have suggested that the Iranian government's death toll is a significant undercount. Human Rights Activists says it has documented more than 400 people killed, among them 197 civilians. Israel argues that its assault on Iran's top military leaders, uranium enrichment sites and nuclear scientists was necessary to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Iran has always insisted its nuclear program is peaceful, and the U.S. and others have assessed that Tehran has not pursued a nuclear weapon since 2003. But Iran has enriched ever-larger stockpiles of uranium to near weapons-grade levels in recent years and was believed to have the capacity to develop multiple weapons within months if it chose to do so. Ahead Israel's initial attack, its Mossad spy agency positioned explosive drones and precision weapons inside Iran, and since then Iran has reportedly detained several people on suspicion of espionage. On Monday, Iranian authorities hanged a medical doctor identified as Esmail Fekri, who had been in prison since 2023 after being convicted of supplying the Mossad with 'sensitive and classified' information, Iranian state-run television reported. ___ Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv and Isaac Scharf and Julia Frankel in Jerusalem, Israel, Isabel DeBre in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and David Rising in Bangkok contributed to this report.
