Palestinian freelancer detained in Israel for glorifying Hamas’ October 7 massacre
45-year-old NBC reporter identified as Mirvat al-Azzeh
He was detained on Thursday after sharing four final Facebook posts about the October 7 attack.
A Palestinian freelancer was detained in Israel on suspicion of inciting violence and expressing support for a terrorist group. The journalist was identified as Mirvat al-Azzeh.
Who is Mirvat al-Azzeh?
Mirvat al-Azzeh is 45 years old. He resides in East Jerusalem. According to the Jerusalem Post, Mirvat al-Azzeh was detained on Thursday after sharing four final Facebook posts about the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 people.
It is still unclear what exactly Al-Azzeh published. But at the hearing in the Jerusalem Magistrates’ Court, police described them as “inciting and glorifying terrible acts committed against civilians.”
Comcast-owned NBC announced Monday that journalist Marwat Azza, who goes by a different name, is no longer affiliated with the network.
An NBC representative said: “Prior to our recent hiring of Marwat Azza as a freelance producer, we were unaware of Marwat Azza’s personal social media behavior, which formed the basis of the Israeli investigation. We recognize that the information reviewed had no bearing on his services to NBC News.”
In his last article, published on November 12, Azza discussed the difficulties faced by newborn babies due to the lack of resources in Gaza City Al-Shifa Hospital. An NBC source with direct knowledge of the matter claims that Azzeh was hired as a freelance producer on October 21.
Mirvat al-Azzeh “arrived ready to be arrested,” according to Israeli officials, according to the Jerusalem Post. He had phone numbers written on his leg, but he didn’t bring his cell phone.
Al-Azzeh reportedly cooperated fully with Israeli police, who last month requested permission from the prosecutor’s office to question him. Al-Azzeh allegedly confessed to his crimes during interrogation following confirmation last week.
