Israeli troops attack journalists in West Bank

JERUSALEM Israeli soldiers attacked two Reuters cameramen and forcing them to strip in the street before throwing a tear-gas canister at them. One of the cameramen had to be taken to hospital after the incident. Israeli troops attack journalists in West Bank The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it took the allegations seriously and that an investigation was underway. However, according to Reuters, the Israeli military has offered no explanation for the incident that took place in the West Bank city of Hebron on Wednesday night. Yousri al-Jamal and Mamoun Wazwaz said they were stopped near a checkpoint where a Palestinian teenager had been shot dead by an Israeli border guard. Their car was clearly marked "TV" and they were also both wearing blue flak jackets with "Press" on the front but they were forced to leave the vehicle and struck with the butts of the soldiers' rifles. The Israeli troops accused them of working for an Israeli NGO, B'Tselem, which documents human rights violations in the occupied West Bank. The soldiers did not let the men produce their official ID papers and forced them to strip down to their underwear, making them kneel on the road with their hands behind their heads, the cameramen said. Two other Palestinian journalists working for local news organizations were also stopped and forced to the ground. One of the soldiers then dropped a tear gas canister between the men and the IDF patrol ran away, Reuters has reported. The four journalists scrambled clear and Jamal and Wazwaz got to their car, which had rapidly filled up with tear gas, they said. They tried to drive away, but said they only got around 200 meters before they had to stop and exit the vehicle because of the choking gas. The soldiers then fired more tear gas in their direction. Wazwaz was overcome by the fumes and was taken to hospital by ambulance and he was released later the same night. The Israeli soldiers took two gas masks and a video camera from their car. The undamaged camera was later found abandoned further up the road. Reuters News Editor-in-Chief Stephen J. Adler has condemned the assault and mistreatment of the journalists and stressed that the agency complained to the Israeli military authorities. Tensions have been running particularly high in Hebron in the past week following repeated clashes between stone-throwing youths and soldiers. The 17-year-old, who was shot dead on Wednesday evening after an altercation with border guards at a nearby checkpoint, was carrying a toy gun which the Israeli police thought was real. Some 800 Jewish settlers live among 30,000 Palestinians in the parts of the old city that are under Israeli control, Reuters has reported. (FoNet, file) Tanjug

Israeli troops attack journalists in West Bank

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it took the allegations seriously and that an investigation was underway. However, according to Reuters, the Israeli military has offered no explanation for the incident that took place in the West Bank city of Hebron on Wednesday night.

Yousri al-Jamal and Mamoun Wazwaz said they were stopped near a checkpoint where a Palestinian teenager had been shot dead by an Israeli border guard.

Their car was clearly marked "TV" and they were also both wearing blue flak jackets with "Press" on the front but they were forced to leave the vehicle and struck with the butts of the soldiers' rifles. The Israeli troops accused them of working for an Israeli NGO, B'Tselem, which documents human rights violations in the occupied West Bank.

The soldiers did not let the men produce their official ID papers and forced them to strip down to their underwear, making them kneel on the road with their hands behind their heads, the cameramen said.

Two other Palestinian journalists working for local news organizations were also stopped and forced to the ground. One of the soldiers then dropped a tear gas canister between the men and the IDF patrol ran away, Reuters has reported.

The four journalists scrambled clear and Jamal and Wazwaz got to their car, which had rapidly filled up with tear gas, they said.

They tried to drive away, but said they only got around 200 meters before they had to stop and exit the vehicle because of the choking gas. The soldiers then fired more tear gas in their direction.

Wazwaz was overcome by the fumes and was taken to hospital by ambulance and he was released later the same night.

The Israeli soldiers took two gas masks and a video camera from their car. The undamaged camera was later found abandoned further up the road.

Reuters News Editor-in-Chief Stephen J. Adler has condemned the assault and mistreatment of the journalists and stressed that the agency complained to the Israeli military authorities.

Tensions have been running particularly high in Hebron in the past week following repeated clashes between stone-throwing youths and soldiers. The 17-year-old, who was shot dead on Wednesday evening after an altercation with border guards at a nearby checkpoint, was carrying a toy gun which the Israeli police thought was real.

Some 800 Jewish settlers live among 30,000 Palestinians in the parts of the old city that are under Israeli control, Reuters has reported.