A video clip that claims to show Israel soldiers attacking two AFP journalists and destroying their equipment has gone viral on Facebook. The two journalists with the French news agency AFP allegedly were attacked by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers while they were covering a Palestinian protest near Nablus in the West Bank on 25 September, Friday.
The video of the incident, which was filmed by Palestinian news outlets from the other side, has widely been shared on social media. The two journalists also reportedly have filed a complaint with the IDF.
The over one minute clip shows IDF soldiers grabbing the camera of the journalists and smashing it on the ground. The journalists are then seen walking away only to be pursued by an Israeli soldier, who then engages in an argument with the AFP scribes.
Suddenly, an Israeli soldier jumps out of an armoured vehicle and grabs hold of another camera belonging to the two scribes, which too is promptly thrown away. Following this, the soldiers are seen using force on the journalists.
Despite identifying themselves as journalists, the Israeli soldiers pointed their assault rifles at the Italian video journalist Andrea Bernardi and his colleague, Palestinian photographer Abbas Momani, Russia Today reported.
An AFP report stated that both journalists were wearing body armour clearly marked "Press". Despite that, Bernardi was thrown to the ground, hit with a weapon, and held down on the ground by a soldier until he showed his press card.
The journalist suffered bruised ribs and an eye injury.
IDF, which had launched an investigation into the matter, later suspended an officer-in-charge of the troop, The Guardian reported on 27 September, Sunday.
