Marwat Al-Azza, a 45-year-old Palestinian journalist and freelancer for NBC News, was arrested in Israel under suspicion of inciting terrorism and affiliating with a terrorist organization, multiple Israeli media sources reported.

Following her arrest last Friday, NBC terminated Al-Azza’s employment. Network officials stated on Monday that they had been unaware of her social media activities, which were cited as the reason for her arrest, according to the New York Post.

Al-Azza, who resides in East Jerusalem, began her stint with NBC shortly before the outbreak of the ongoing conflict with Hamas. Her journalistic career includes prior work for the U.S. government-funded Arabic-language satellite network Alhurra and the Saudi channel KSA2.

The arrest was precipitated by four posts on Al-Azza’s personal Facebook page, which referred to the Hamas-initiated terror attack on October 7 that resulted in at least 1,200 fatalities and 240 hostages.

In one, Al-Azza wrote that the kidnapping of an elderly Israeli woman was “killing me, it’s a black comedy, the old woman looks happy, a bit of action before she dies.”

In another she said: “Sirens all the time, the Jews are hiding and the Arabs are out drinking coffee on their balconies,” and, “I feel like I’m watching a movie where the director is Palestinian and the protagonists are from Gaza.”

During a hearing at the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court, a police representative underscored the gravity of the offenses, emphasizing Al-Azza’s decision to incite and glorify acts of terror against civilians in a country under attack, where she lives and earns her livelihood.

“These are very serious offenses during a time of declared war when the respondent lives and makes a living in the same country that is under attack and yet chooses to incite and glorify the horrible acts committed against civilians,” the Jerusalem Post quoted a police representative as saying.

Following the court hearing, Al-Azza’s detention was extended by four more days. The decision to interrogate her was made last month, with the prosecutor’s office granting permission for the interrogation last week.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)