Journalists injured by Israeli fire during military raid in West Bank

ISRAEL – Palestinian journalists say that they were fired on by the Israeli military during a raid in the occupied West Bank town of Kafr Dan. Mohammed Mansour, a journalist for the Palestinian news agency WAFA, was injured when the car he was driving was struck by gunfire, according to video of the aftermath and his employer.

 

Footage filmed in the car by freelance journalist Jarah Khalaf shows a chaotic scene, as Mansour races through the streets and blood pours from his leg. All journalists were wearing flak jackets with “press” labels, and the car bore a “press” identifier on its hood.

“The occupation surprised us by shooting at us directly. Our colleague Mohammed Mansour was here in this car,” said Khalaf. “The army shot at us more than once, even though we had press signs and were wearing body armor and everything.” WAFA said that the Israeli military “fired live bullets directly at the vehicle,” which was carrying four journalists reporting on the Tuesday raid. The Palestine Red Crescent Society said that it treated four journalists who were injured by gunfire and shrapnel. CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment.

Violence from the Israeli offensive in Gaza since the Hamas-led October 7 attacks has spilled into the occupied West Bank in recent months. The IDF unleashed a barrage of raids and airstrikes in multiple parts of the territory on August 28 – including in the cities of Jenin, Tubas and Tulkarem – bulldozing highways and razing buildings to rubble. The IDF has said that its operations in the West Bank are necessary “in order to remove immediate terror threats in real time.”

Humanitarian groups have accused the Israeli military of using disproportionate force against Palestinian residents, inflicting severe damage on critical infrastructure and disrupting health care services. On Tuesday, a UN spokesperson warned that Israeli forces are using “lethal war-like tactics” in the occupied territory, with people being killed, injured and displaced – and have blocked critical access to aid organizations. (CNN)…[+]