Soldiers 'attack' journalists near Nablus

Ma'an
A group of Palestinian photojournalists documenting tree-planting near Nablus on Thursday afternoon said they were accosted by Israeli forces, who declared the area a closed military zone.

The tree-planting, on the edges of Burin village, was set to see 250 olive saplings dug into the soil under a new "Green Palestine" project in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Agriculture.

Journalists, including Ma'an photographer Rami Swidan, said soldiers descended on the group, insisting that because they were in a closed military zone, no photographs could be taken in the area.

Swidan said soldiers approached the group and ordered them to stop filming, but that they refused. He said a soldier hit him on his chest and tried to take the camera by force...., soldiers fired tear-gas canisters and a stun grenade at the group in an apparent attempt to disperse them.

Swidan said he was beaten, along with the other photographers, and that several pieces of equipment were confiscated. At least a dozen tear-gas canisters were launched, he said, causing several of the tree-planters to lose consciousness.

Nablus Deputy Governor Anan Al-Atira, present at the tree planting, called the violence "brutal and baseless."

....MADA "strongly condemns the Israeli occupation army attack on Ma'an News Agency photographer Rami Swidan, Palmedia cameraman Ashraf Abu Shawish, Reuter's photographer Abdel-Rahim Alqusini, and Reuter's cameraman Hassan Titi," it said in a statement.

Latest in a string of allegations

The reported incident would be the fourth such in the last week, with three journalists detained on Sunday during the course of their work.....   Full story