Palestinian Journalist Latifeh Abdellatif Arrested in Jerusalem, Police Stopped Release Order by Appealing in the Court

Jerusalem, Israel: Israeli authorities have arrested Palestinian journalist Latifeh Abdellatif in Jerusalem. She is accused of posting material on social media supporting and praising Hamas. Israeli police have accused the journalist of “inciting terrorism” and “supporting terrorism” in Jerusalem. Abdellatif has denied all charges. Abdellatif is a freelance photojournalist whose work has appeared in Reuters, ABC News, BBC, Al Jazeera and TRT.

According to Abdellatif's lawyer and her mother, she was arrested on Sunday, March 16, by officers in unmarked vehicles while walking from her home in the Old City to Jerusalem.

According to Israeli authorities' allegations, one of Abdellatif's social media posts included a video of the late Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar with the caption, "He wanted to die a martyr's death." Another post featured a photo of Izz al-Din al-Masalma, who killed a 12-year-old boy by firing on an Israeli bus in December. Two other people were injured in that attack.

Another post included a photo of the body of terrorist Hassan Qatani, wrapped in a green Hamas flag, with the caption, "Put the camera on your shoulders and record the situation. You are leaving with a burden you can no longer carry." Qatani was one of two terrorists who killed British citizen Leah (Lucy) Dee and her two daughters in a drive-by shooting in 2023. Police say Abdellatif's social media posts clearly show he praises and glorifies the actions of suspected terrorist organizations.

Abdellatif appeared via video link at a magistrate's court in Jerusalem on Monday 17 March, where a judge rejected a police request to keep her in custody for an additional five days to continue questioning and investigations. At one point during the hearing, Abdellatif smiled and made a heart-shaped gesture with her hands.

"The court found that these posts are part of her professional work as a journalist, and that these posts are more than six months old, there is no need to keep her in custody and she does not pose any threat to the public," Abdellatif's lawyer, Nasser Odeh, said after the hearing. Odeh said the judge ordered Abdellatif released "under restrictive conditions." These include 2,000 Israeli shekels ($550) for bail and 10,000 shekels as a guarantee to appear when summoned for investigation.

However, the Israeli police immediately appealed the decision and sought to block Abdellatif's release until they filed an appeal with the Central Court. Therefore, the journalist's release was postponed until the appeal process took effect.