Israeli soldiers have attacked journalists and media crews who were documenting the invasion and demolition of Al-Khan Al-Ahmar Bedouin community near the occupied city of Jerusalem. A large security force consisting of the army, police and border guards imposed a cordon on the village and declared it to be a closed military zone.

The Israelis confiscated four vehicles belonging to media organisations and imposed heavy fines on the owners of other vehicles under the pretext that they had crossed into the zone. The Israeli police also imposed traffic fines on Palestinian Red Crescent ambulances which were trying to reach Al-Khan Al-Ahmar to provide medical services to the residents.

The Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate issued a statement on Thursday condemning the Israeli attacks on journalists, residents and solidarity activists. Condemnation also came from the Palestinian Ministry of Information. The journalists, the ministry pointed out, were attacked while trying to document the army’s crimes of ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of the Palestinian people.

The PA reiterated its calls to the UN Security Council to implement Resolution 2222, issued more than three years ago, to protect journalists.

Demolition of Khan Al-Ahmar: Another chapter in the ethnic cleansing of Palestine