Israel army punishes battalion after violence against reporters

Middle East

Israel army punishes battalion after violence against reporters

CNN journalists wanted to film a report on the consequences of a settler attack in the West Bank. Israeli soldiers forcibly prevent them from doing so. Now the army leadership is drawing conclusions.

After violence by Israeli soldiers against journalists from the US television channel CNN in the occupied West Bank, the army leadership has suspended an entire reserve battalion from service. The military announced overnight that the battalion would undergo a process to strengthen its “professional and ethical foundations.”

Israel’s army said after an investigation into the incident that it regretted it and respected press freedom. According to the military, Israeli Chief of General Staff Ejal Zamir spoke of a “serious ethical and professional failure.”

A CNN team wanted to document the aftermath of an attack by Israeli settlers and the establishment of an illegal outpost when they said they were attacked and violently detained by Israeli soldiers.

CNN filmed the incident. Correspondent Jeremy Diamond had written on X that the soldiers had attacked a photographer and detained his team. According to the international press association Foreign Press Association (FPA), the journalists had clearly identified themselves. But the soldiers repeatedly tried to prevent the recordings. One of the Israeli soldiers then put a CNN journalist in a chokehold, threw him to the ground and damaged his camera.

The association spoke of a direct attack on press freedom. The Israeli army command opened an investigation into the incident. The unprecedented suspension of an entire battalion was intended to serve as a deterrent among the soldiers, wrote the Israeli news portal ynet. The soldiers in the battalion were “shocked by the collective punishment.” Such a unit usually includes several hundred soldiers.

The Israeli army also said that the allegation that one of the soldiers used violence was being further investigated by the relevant authorities.

With the start of the Gaza war two and a half years ago, there was a significant increase in violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property in the West Bank. The Israeli security forces are repeatedly accused of not acting decisively enough or even siding with the aggressive settlers.