Israel Withdraws West Bank Battalion After Assault On CNN Journalist
Israel’s military has withdrawn a reserve battalion from operations in the occupied West Bank after soldiers assaulted and detained a CNN news crew. The incident happened near the Palestinian village of Tayasir in the northern Jordan Valley. A CNN team was in the area reporting on an attack by Israeli settlers and the establishment of an illegal outpost when they were confronted by soldiers. According to the Foreign Press Association, troops pointed their guns at the journalists and ordered them to sit on the ground. During the confrontation, one soldier came from behind CNN photojournalist Cyril Theophilos, placed him in a chokehold, slammed him to the ground, and damaged his camera. The crew was then detained for a period before being released. In response, IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir ordered all operations by the battalion to be […]