IDF suspends officer over AFP photographer assault
According to the IDF, the officer who was in charge of operations on the ground during the incident has been suspended 'pending further disciplinary measures', and investigations into what the army is calling a 'grave incident' are ongoing.
The IDF soldiers were caught on film apparently breaking a camera and attacking photo journalists during clashes in the West Bank village of Bet Furik on Friday.
During the clashes, the soldiers were filmed pushing back two photographers from the French news agency AFP, who were standing alongside them. One of the soldiers is seen picking up the photographer's camera from the ground and smashing it on the road, the soldier then tosses the camera off to the side.
Another soldier is later seen running up to one of the two photographers who were pushed back, seemingly threatening him, while another soldier tosses another piece of the photographers' camera equipment (apparently a tripod.)
The soldiers do not let the photographers go, and after about a minute one of them is seen getting out of their jeep, approaching the photographer, and grabbing a camera out of his hands before smashing it on the ground twice. The same soldier seemingly tries to grab the camera from the photographer once again a short while later, but he seems to be stopped by the other soldiers on the scene.
"The officer in charge of the operations on the ground has been suspended from operational duty until further notice," Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner said of the incident on Friday.
Lerner said the move was an immediate step "pending further disciplinary measures" against the officer or other soldiers and that investigations were ongoing.
He added that the Israeli military considered it a "grave" incident.
"Lessons from the incident will be learnt and disseminated within the IDF," Lerner told AFP late on Saturday.
The incident was filmed and posted online by a local production company.
On Friday evening, the army told AFP that it had identified those involved and that disciplinary measures would be taken. It also said it had recovered equipment.
Severely damaged equipment was returned to AFP on Saturday, though without the memory cards that had been inside.
AFP contributed to this article.
