Israel Suspends Battalion Over Assault on CNN Crew in West Bank

Israeli military officials announced Sunday that they have suspended an entire reserve battalion from duty in the occupied West Bank after soldiers from the unit detained and assaulted a CNN news crew while the journalists reported on recent violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.

The incident occurred Friday in the Palestinian village of Tayasir, east of Nablus, where correspondent Jeremy Diamond and photojournalist Cyril Theophilos were interviewing residents about a settler attack the previous day that left at least one man seriously injured. According to CNN footage and accounts from the crew, soldiers approached the group with weapons drawn, ordered them to sit down, and detained them along with several Palestinians for about two hours. One soldier placed Theophilos in a chokehold, forced him to the ground, and damaged his camera equipment.

The battalion, known as the 941st Netzah Israel and composed largely of reservists from the ultra-Orthodox Netzah Yehuda infantry unit, was immediately pulled from operational duties in the West Bank, the Israel Defense Forces stated. Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir ordered the unit reassigned to training focused on...