Press freedom victim of Israeli military campaign
Israel’s military raids on the West Bank following the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers have included violations against Palestinian journalists and media outlets.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — The “press” badge did not protect Yahya Habayeb, a journalist with the Ajyal radio network in the West Bank, from an assault by Israeli soldiers while he was covering the military operation in Hebron, nor did it protect him from arrest. He was bruised and his camera and recorder were broken.
This was only one of many attacks by Israeli soldiers on Palestinian journalists during the military operation in the West Bank, which started on June 13, culminating in the storming of Trans Media on June 18, Pal Media on June 21 and Turbo Design on June 22.
Habayeb told Al-Monitor that Israeli soldiers arrested him while he was covering the raid on Aqaba Tufuh, west of Hebron. They took him away and broke his camera, cell phone, recording device, and they beat him, causing bruises on his body.
In a news report, the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) said that the media was one of the targets of the military operation in the West Bank, as also reported by the Union of Palestinian Radio and Television.
