Palestinian freelancer was detained in Israel on suspicion of inciting violence and expressing support for a terrorist group. The journalist has been recognized as Mirvat al-Azzeh.
Who is Mirvat al-Azzeh?
Mirvat al-Azzeh is 45 years old. She is a resident of East Jerusalem. Mirvat al-Azzeh was taken into custody on Thursday after sharing four recent Facebook posts on the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, which left over 1,200 people dead, according to the Jerusalem Post.
It’s still unclear what exactly al-Azzeh posts. But the police called them “inciting and glorifying the horrible acts committed against civilians” in a Jerusalem Magistrate Court hearing.
NBC, which is owned by Comcast, declared on Monday that the journalist Marwat Azza—who went by a different name—was no longer connected to the network.
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An NBC representative said, “We were unaware of Marwat Azza’s personal social media behavior that served as the foundation for the Israeli investigation before our recent hiring her for services as a freelance producer. We are aware that the information being looked at has nothing to do with the services she gave to NBC News.”
In its most recent byline, published on November 12, Azza discussed the difficulties faced by newborns at Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital due to a lack of resources at the institution. An NBC source with direct knowledge of the matter claims that Azzeh was brought on as a freelance producer on October 21.
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According to the Jerusalem Post, Mirvat al-Azzeh “arrived ready for arrest,” according to Israeli authorities. She had phone numbers scribbled on her leg but had not brought her mobile.
Al-Azzeh is reported to have cooperated completely with Israeli police, who last month requested authorization to question her from the prosecutor’s office. Al-Azzeh allegedly confessed to the crimes during the interrogation after the approval was given last week.
