JournalismPakistan.com | Published November 19, 2019
Join our WhatsApp channel
BEIRUT — The Committee to Protect Journalists has condemned Israeli security forces’ injuring of Palestinian photographer Moath Amarneh and called on Israeli authorities to immediately open an investigation into the incident and hold those responsible to account.
On November 15, an Israeli soldier fired a rubber coated bullet in the West Bank town of Surif, and shrapnel from the bullet hit Amarneh, a photographer for the London-based news agency Sanad and for the West Bank-based media production company GMedia, in his left eye, according to news reports and a statement from Sanad.
According to a statement by local press freedom group MADA, Amarneh was covering a protest by Surif residents against Israel’s plan to seize Palestinian land for the construction of a wall when some young Palestinians began to throw stones at Israeli soldiers, who opened fire at them.
Amarneh told local news website Al-Dostor that he was on his way to a car to leave the scene when a bullet fired by Israeli forces hit a nearby object and exploded, sending shrapnel into his eye.
Amarneh was wearing a helmet and a protective vest marked “Press” when he was injured, according to a video of the journalist posted on Facebook by his brother, Tareq Amarneh.
Amarneh was taken to Al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron, and was then transferred to the Arab Society Hospital in Bethlehem, and then to the Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem, where he underwent surgery to remove shrapnel from his eye that was close to his brain, according to a statement by local press freedom group MADA.
He is at risk of permanently losing sight in his left eye, according to news reports.
“Israeli security forces have repeatedly shown utter disregard for the lives and safety of journalists, as seen by the severe injury suffered by Palestinian photographer Moath Amarneh,” said CPJ Middle East and North Africa Representative Ignacio Miguel Delgado. “We call on Israeli authorities to immediately open an investigation into the incident and hold the soldiers responsible to account.”
The Israeli Defense Forces did not immediately reply to CPJ’s emailed request for comment.
Yesterday, Israeli security forces fired tear gas into a group of journalists who were staging a protest over Amarneh’s injuries, and briefly detained two demonstrators, according to news reports.
Dozens of Palestinian journalists have been injured and at least two, Ahmed Abu Hussein and Yaser Murtaja, have been killed covering protests in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the Gaza border protests in March 2018, according to CPJ research. — A CPJ News Alert/Photo: AFP
April 11, 2025: Sindhi journalist AD Shar was brutally murdered in Khairpur, Sindh. His body was found dumped on Handiyari Link Road. PFUJ has declared a three-day mourning period and demanded justice.
April 10, 2025: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has filed a case against The Daily Jammu & Kashmir and its staff for alleged fake news, drawing condemnation from PFUJ and IFJ, who demand immediate withdrawal of the FIR and an end to media repression in Pakistan.
April 08, 2025: Journalist Arzoo Kazmi alleges that Pakistan's state agencies, including the FIA, have blocked her CNIC, passport, and bank account while threatening her. She calls it a direct attack on journalism.
April 07, 2025: The Islamabad High Court has directed IG Islamabad to produce journalist Ahmad Noorani’s missing brothers, as the Ministry of Defence denies custody. SIM activity was traced in Bahawalpur, and investigations into their suspected abduction continue.
April 07, 2025: Journalist and Raftar founder Farhan Mallick has been granted bail by a Karachi court in a case concerning anti-state content aired on his YouTube channel. He still faces separate charges related to an alleged illegal call center and data theft.
April 03, 2025: Veteran journalist Ghulam Abbas Shah has joined Discover Pakistan Television as the Head of Programming. With 25 years of experience in leading news organizations, he looks forward to contributing to quality storytelling and content.
April 02, 2025: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has strongly condemned the visit of a group of Pakistani journalists to Israel, calling it a violation of journalistic ethics and a betrayal of press freedom and human rights. PFUJ demands a transparent investigation into the matter.
March 30, 2025: Dawn criticizes Pakistan’s plan to use TV dramas against extremism, highlighting financial and digital challenges. Can media alone solve deep-rooted issues?
April 03, 2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) and International Media Support (IMS) invite nominations for the 2025 World Press Freedom Hero and Free Media Pioneer Awards. Recognizing courageous journalists and innovative media, the awards will be presented at IPI’s 75th-anniversary World Congress in Vienna. Submit your nominations by April 30, 2025.
April 01, 2025 Photojournalist Suresh Rajak was burned alive while covering a violent protest in Kathmandu. The IFJ and its affiliates condemn the attack and call for an urgent investigation to hold the perpetrators accountable.
April 01, 2025 Assam Police arrested digital journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder for covering a protest against alleged corruption at Assam Co-Operative Bank. Media organizations have condemned the arrest, calling it an attack on press freedom.
March 29, 2025 A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle Voice of America (VOA), ruling that the move likely violated legal procedures. The decision protects over 1,200 journalists and media staff.
March 28, 2025 Turkey deports BBC journalist Mark Lowen over 'public order' threat and fines opposition TV channels covering Istanbul Mayor's arrest. Critics condemn crackdown on press freedom amid rising political tensions.