Israeli Forces Shoot TV Camera Into a Flaming Wreck
A TV crew working in the occupied West Bank was apparently targeted by Israeli forces who fired at a camera — shooting it into a flaming wreck.
A video taken yesterday shows camera equipment set up by journalists from the Al Araby TV channel being shot several times by soldiers from the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) until it falls off its tripod.
The broadcast camera along with a livestreaming television device is seen destroyed on the ground with the remnants on fire.
Video journalist Rabi Munir and his colleague Amid Shehadeh are later seen inspecting the camera which looks to be beyond repair. The camera crew along with other photographers are evacuated shortly after.
Shehadeh and his colleagues had been covering Israel’s incursion into the occupied West Bank city of Jenin and were transmitting live pictures from one of the affected areas.
Shehadeh says that the soldiers “directly targeted” the camera crew with more than six bullets, according to the Independent.
After an Israeli jeep came into view, Shehadeh and two photographers from a news agency took cover inside a home and shots began firing.
“I believe I’m sure it was a deliberate targeting of the Al Araby TV camera, not just the camera but also the transmitter,” Shehadeh tells The New Arab. “We were only a meter away from our equipment under attack.”
Shehadeh’s employer, the Al Araby TV network, has condemned the incident.
“We call on all colleagues, as well human rights and media organizations, to join us in expressing their unequivocal rejection of these practices and their full support for freedom of the press and the absolute necessity of guaranteeing the safety of journalists,” it says.
What Happened in Jenin?
Today, Israel says it has pulled back from Jenin. The operation, which began on Monday, focused on a refugee camp in the city and saw intense airstrikes carried out by Israel.
The incursion has killed at least 12 Palestinians as well as one Israeli soldier. Officials say it was rooting out armed Palestinians whom it holds responsible for shooting attacks on Israelis.
