The State of Israel has filed an indictment against journalist Said Hassanin for giving an interview to Hamas's Al-Aqsa channel. Besides the content of Hassanin's statements in the interview, the state claims that the mere act of giving an interview to the Palestinian terrorist organization's channel constitutes "contact with a foreign agent," an offense from the espionage chapter of the Penal Code, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Hassanin was arrested about three weeks ago (February 25) following an interview he gave to Al-Aqsa channel, and he has been behind bars since. Following his arrest, he was fired from his job as an editor at the Nas Radio station and as an announcer for the Bnei Sakhnin football team.

In the interview with Al-Aqsa, Hasanin said, according to a report in Haaretz, that "the Islamic resistance acted with complete humanity in accordance with Islamic law and proved to the world that Hamas preserves human dignity and respects the women who were taken captive on October 7. Hamas protected them according to religious teachings, Islamic law, and Palestinian conscience."

He also said that the hostage Omer Shem Tov kissed the head of one of the terrorists on stage in Gaza "to prove that they treated him humanely and with respect." According to Hassanin, "Shem Tov respects them as human beings and acknowledges that the female hostages were not harmed. There is a crucial distinction here between those who are barbaric and cruel and those who act humanely according to their doctrine, laws, and Islamic religious principles."

Regarding Palestinian citizens of Israel who enlist in the army, he said: "There are weak-minded individuals who join the army's ranks and serve the enemy's army. Hamas wanted to tell the Palestinians of Historical Palestine called Israeli Arabs, that they do not want them to join the enemy's army, the occupation army, and it's time for anyone who has become weak-minded or is just thinking about joining the occupation army to think a million times about where they're going, how they're selling their conscience, their morals, and their religion on this immoral, irreligious, and non-national path."

Additional Charge Against Hassanin

The indictment mentions that the Al-Aqsa channel was declared an "illegal association" more than a decade ago for being part of the Hamas organization, and for more than five years the channel itself has been declared a "terrorist organization."

According to the indictment, Hassanin's mere contact with channel representatives regarding the interview, and receiving the link to participate in the interview via video conference on Zoom, constitutes grounds for prosecution for maintaining contact with a foreign agent. In addition, the indictment claims, his statements in the interview included words of praise, sympathy, and support for Hamas, and therefore he is accused of expressing identification with a terrorist organization.

It is further alleged that between the time of the interview and his arrest, and due to his fear of being investigated, Hassanin destroyed the mobile phone he used to contact the channel. Therefore, the journalist is also accused of destroying evidence.

In addition, a separate charge of expressing identification with a terrorist organization was filed against Hassanin for an interview he gave last September to a Palestinian website called Qudsona, during which he expressed words of praise and sympathy for the terrorist organization Hezbollah and its leader.

According to the translation appearing in the indictment, Hassanin praised Hassan Nasrallah in this interview, saying among other things that the Shiite terrorist organization leader was "a first-rate figure, a believer, a fighter who believed in justice, in the Palestinian cause and in the Arab cause. He acted for the Palestinian cause, and who obligated him and Hezbollah to do what he did to help the Gaza Strip."

In a hearing held today (March 12) at the Haifa District Court before Judge Zaid Falah, it was determined that Hassanin will remain in custody until further notice.

"After reviewing the investigation file, including documentation of parts of the respondent's interview on the Al-Aqsa channel, communication analyses, and the respondent's versions, I have reached the conclusion that there is much more than a spark of evidence regarding the offenses attributed to him. At this stage, I am extending the respondent's detention until another decision is made," wrote Judge Falah and set a date for the reading of the indictment next week.