The Israeli army battalion that attacked and captured a CNN team in the occupied West Bank has been suspended for one month and redeployed, an Israeli security official told CNN.
The reserve unit functions under the ultra-Orthodox Netza Yehuda battalion and has undergone educational seminars and additional training, officials said. According to Israeli Army Radio, the troops are expected to return to full-scale operations within the next few days.
On March 30, soldiers from the battalion detained a CNN team that was covering settler violence in the West Bank village of Tayasir. One soldier strangled photojournalist Cyril Theophilos, pushed him to the ground and damaged his camera. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has taken unprecedented disciplinary action, suspending his troops within 48 hours.
Military sources told CNN that the assault on Theophilos will be investigated by the Israeli Gendarmerie. The IDF called the incident a “serious ethical and professional failure.” The Israel Defense Forces said the troops would undergo training “aimed at strengthening their professional and ethical foundations” and that Israel’s Central Command, which oversees military operations in the West Bank, would decide when they could return to duty.
Police have not yet announced the findings or disciplinary measures following the gendarmerie investigation. It is understood that the soldier who assaulted the CNN photojournalist has not received any further suspension or disciplinary action.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Police’s Internal Investigations Division, an independent agency within the organization, is investigating an earlier incident in which a police officer broke the wrist of CNN senior producer Abeer Salman. On March 17, Salman was part of a group of journalists covering Ramadan prayers outside the Lion Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City. Muslim worshipers, prohibited by wartime regulations from praying at Al-Aqsa Mosque, had gathered outside the Old City’s walls to pray.
Police hurled stun grenades at the believers, who were then moved to another location near the old city walls. Two journalists were detained at the scene after police assaulted them and damaged their equipment. After their release, police ordered the journalists to retreat. Footage from the scene showed the group following police instructions as a plainclothes officer grabbed Salman’s hand and twisted it, breaking his wrist.
In response to a series of questions about the incident and its subsequent actions, Israeli police initially issued the same statement as before, but the Israeli Journalists Union called this statement “factually incorrect.” The statement said the journalists “refused to comply with police instructions” and did not identify themselves as a media organization. The statement said the act “raised suspicions among police officers” and the camera equipment “appeared to be intended to provoke.”
Police did not respond to CNN’s list of questions, including which commands were not followed, what actions were suspicious, and why having a camera would be considered provocative.
Police said in a statement that they are “unable to address this matter at this time”, citing an ongoing investigation. Police have not said when they expect the investigation to conclude.
