Posted on 04/05/2002 10:08:52 AM PST by Libloather
French cameraman injured, journalists dispersed with stun grenades, tear gas in West Bank
Fri Apr 5, 1:53 PM ET
By IBRAHIM HAZBOUN, Associated Press Writer
BETHLEHEM, West Bank - A French television cameraman was slightly wounded Friday by Israeli gunfire near the Church of the Nativity, hours after soldiers lobbed stun grenades at journalists outside Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat (news - web sites)'s headquarters.
Israel has declared both areas off-limits to the press during its major military offensive in Palestinian cities.
Jerome Marcantetti, a cameraman with the LCI news channel of French broadcaster TF1, said an Israeli soldier fired at him after ordering him to leave an area 200 meters (yards) from the Church of the Nativity where he was filming Israeli armored personnel carriers.
"One of the soldiers shouted: 'Leave now, leave, leave,'" Marcantetti said, adding that he lowered his camera a second or so later and turned to leave. "One of the soldiers opened fire with his M-16 and I was injured," he said. Marcantetti said X-rays showed a bullet fragment in his right thigh.
The Israeli army said it wasn't aware of the incident. The army has tried to keep journalists out of closed military zones.
Israel has come under criticism from international groups for its policies toward journalists since the military campaign began last week. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists accused Israeli troops of firing at reporters; it and other international organizations have protested Israel's policy of expelling journalists from occupied West Bank cities.
Several hours earlier Friday, Israeli soldiers fired tear gas and stun grenades at about 30 reporters who had approached the Ramallah compound to wait for U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni to arrive for a meeting with Arafat. A tank swerved, pointing its barrel at the reporters, who scattered and darted away in their armored vehicles.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said that because of the dangers in the closed military zones, "anyone who is walking around is viewed as an enemy, and rightly so."
Also declared off-limits were Beit Jalla, Jenin, Qalqilya, Salfit and Tulkarem — essentially blocking ground access to the entire Israeli operation.
Zinni became the first official permitted to meet with Arafat inside his besieged headquarters, where the Palestinian leader has been confined to a few rooms for the past week. No coverage of the meeting was permitted.
Pictures - please?
A television cameraman jumps from the explosion of a stun grenade thrown by an Israeli soldier in front of Yasser Arafat's compound in the beseiged West Bank city of Ramallah, Friday, April 5, 2002. Journalists attempting to cover the scheduled meeting between Yasser Arafat and U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni were turned back by Israeli soldiers. Ramallah remains a closed military zone under 24-hour curfew. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
sorry replied to wrong post, see above.
A convoy of armored press vehicles head towards Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's compound in the beseiged West Bank city of Ramallah, Friday, April 5, 2002. Journalists attempting to cover the scheduled meeting between Arafat and U.S.-Mideast envoy Anthony Zinni were turned back by Israeli soldiers using stun grenades and live fire. Ramallah remains a closed military zone under 24-hour curfew. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
Yep, the diffeence between a bad day at work and a really bad day.
NUFF SAID! Tell the reporters to call a WAAAHHHHMbulance!
I'm cool wiff it - but - are you in Israel right now?
A stun grenade thrown by an Israeli soldier explodes on an Associated Press armored car, part of a press convoy in front of Yasser Arafat's compound in the beseiged West Bank city of Ramallah Friday April 5, 2002. Journalists attempting to cover the scheduled meeting between PLO leader Yasser Arafat and U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni were turned back by Israeli soldiers using stun grenades and live fire. Ramallah remains a closed military zone under 24-hour curfew. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
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