Afro-Palestinian journalist, photographer and blogger Nasrin Salem-Al Abid, a resident of the Old City of Jerusalem, was arrested on February 15, 2026 and has since been questioned by the Jerusalem District Police on suspicion of providing services and resources to a terrorist organization and maintaining contact with a foreign agent. Her detention was extended several times due to what police described as the danger she poses and the need to carry out additional investigative actions.
On Sunday evening, Salem-Al Abid was released to full house arrest under restrictive conditions after police decided not to appeal the ruling of Judge Gad Ehrenberg of the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court. The conditions imposed include full house arrest at her father’s home under his supervision, a ban on using electronic media devices including phone and internet, a personal bond of 10,000 shekels, mandatory appearance for questioning and court proceedings whenever required, and a prohibition on contacting any other individuals involved.
How did a Jerusalem blogger become a suspect in a terror investigation?
The offenses attributed to Salem-Al Abid, who is in her early twenties, are connected to her work as an independent journalist, photographer and blogger. She frequently documents scenes across Jerusalem where clashes occur between Palestinian residents and Jews, as well as arrests of security suspects carried out by police. She then uploads videos to media outlets and to her social media accounts, primarily Instagram, presenting the events according to the Palestinian narrative.
The current suspicions focus on videos she uploaded to the Palestinian media network Al-Qastal. The network was declared a terrorist organization in October 2023 by then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during the “Iron Swords” war following the October 7 massacre. Al-Qastal is defined as an arm of the designated terrorist organization Hamas, promoting its objectives and operating as an electronic information distribution platform used for propaganda and support.
In an attempt to bypass the prohibition on cooperating with Al-Qastal, Salem-Al Abid allegedly uploaded the videos to the Palestinian news channel Al-Asima, which is also identified with Hamas. The videos were then transferred to Al-Qastal within minutes. Al-Asima was declared a terrorist organization only on February 16, 2026, one day after her arrest.
How did Nasrin Salem-Al Abid become a prominent figure in Jerusalem protests?
Salem-Al Abid gained prominence in Palestinian public discourse due to videos she posted during the 2021–2022 protests in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, amid disputes over Jewish-owned properties inhabited by Palestinians. She covered the riots and police dispersal operations, and in one incident she was injured by a rubber bullet.
She also became known for her coverage of events at the Temple Mount and Damascus Gate plaza during Ramadan in 2022, when unrest broke out following the installation of barriers intended to prevent large gatherings of young people after the daily fast.
