Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists (CDFJ) condemned the Israeli occupation army targeting of “Al Araby TV” team during its coverage of the Israeli attack against the village of Deir AlGhusun, north of Tulkarm in the West Bank.
The Center considered targeting the media team of Al Araby TV a new crime added to the record of the Israeli occupation authorities, and a threat to its journalistic staff.
CDFJ affirmed in an issued statement the continuation of crimes and violations by the occupation army against journalists is not only in the occupied Gaza, but also throughout the occupied West Bank, which indicates that the crimes committed by Israel in the West Bank are not less serious, most notably targeting press crews with live bullets, physical attacks, arrests, and preventing coverage.
In its statement, the Center quoted the “Al Araby TV” correspondent in Deir Al-Ghusun, Ameed Shehadeh, who stated that “Al Araby” team was covering the storming of the village of Deir AlGhusun by the occupation forces, indicating that “the occupation forces were a few meters away from “Al Araby TV” team upon his arrival in the area, and although the occupation forces realized that they were journalists, they began to directly shoot at them.”
The Center announced its support and solidarity with “Al Araby TV” team, calling on international organizations to investigate the crime committed against the television’s crew.
CDFJ stated that the Israeli occupation forces’ targeting of journalists, throughout Palestine, has become a systematic and ongoing behavior, and emphasizing the necessity of concerted efforts by international and human rights organizations to stop the occupation’s terrorism against Palestinian journalists, to pursue the leaders of the Israeli occupation and its soldiers so that they do not escape punishment.