- Said Hasanein was detained after appearing on the Hamas-linked Al-Aqsa TV channel.
- His lawyers argue that the court's decision is politically motivated and part of a larger crackdown on critics.
LONDON: Israeli authorities on Tuesday extended the detention of Palestinian sports journalist and broadcaster Said Hasanein, who was accused of expressing support for Hamas during a television interview in February.
Hasanein has been in custody for about a week, with Israeli police charging him with charges including “incitement,” “supporting terrorism” and “associating with a foreign agent.”
The Acre Magistrates' Court ordered his detention extended until Sunday – the third extension in the case – after prosecutors said Hasanein appeared on the Hamas-linked Al-Aqsa television channel.
“Whoever thinks only about joining the occupation army should think a million times about where he is going and how he is selling his conscience, his moral principles and his religion on this immoral path,” Hasanein said in an interview obtained and broadcast by Israel's Channel 14 television.
During the interview, he added that the way Hamas treated the female hostages in Gaza “convincingly proves who is the barbarian and who is the humanist” in the Israel-Hamas war.
Hasanein, a longtime sports commentator, was also fired from his post as a commentator for Bnei Sakhnin Football Club, one of Israel's most successful Arab clubs.
After the court's ruling, Hasanein's lawyer, Alaa Mahajneh, denounced the case as politically motivated, calling his client's detention part of a wider crackdown on Palestinian activists and critics of the war.
“Ultimately it's up to the police to decide whether to press charges, but we are realistic,” Mahajneh said, adding that Hasanein's family members have also been questioned by Israeli police.
“Given the incitement of the Israeli media and the way the case has become a public issue, an indictment is possible. Right now, we are focused on stopping the detentions, as arrests should be based on legal grounds, not punishment or sending political messages to the Arab community.”
Hasanein's extended detention comes amid tighter restrictions on Palestinian public expression. Israeli authorities recently raided a bookstore in East Jerusalem, detaining two of its owners on suspicion of “disturbing public order.”
The booksellers were released five days later following mounting pressure from rights groups and international figures, who accused Israeli authorities of trying to suppress Palestinian culture and “create a climate of fear” for locals.
