Israeli Military Suspends Battalion After CNN Crew Assault
The Israeli military suspended an entire reserve battalion on Monday following the detention and assault of a CNN news crew in the West Bank village of Tayasir last Thursday, marking a swift disciplinary measure amid concerns over settler violence in the region.
The incident occurred as CNN correspondent Jeremy Diamond, photojournalist Cyril Theophilos, and producer Abeer Salman were interviewing Palestinian residents about a settler attack that had taken place earlier that morning. According to the journalists, Israeli settlers had entered the village before dawn, firing shots into the air and assaulting several locals before establishing an unauthorized outpost on a nearby hilltop. Among the victims was 75-year-old Abdullah Daraghmeh, who suffered a fractured skull, broken facial bones, and lost teeth after being beaten in his home while asleep, his son Sami Daraghmeh told CNN. Another resident, Imad Dabak, expressed fear for his family's safety, stating that the military had not removed the settlers and that he planned to leave his home temporarily.
As the CNN team documented the aftermath, soldiers from the Netzah Yehuda reserve battalion arrived and ordered the group to sit...