Israel arrests fourth Palestinian journalist this year

Ramallah – PNN – A Palestinian journalist, Aseed A’marneh, was arrested by the Israeli military this morning at his home in Dheisheh, Bethlehem.

According to his son, Abd Al-Majid A’marneh, Israeli soldiers raided their house at 3 a.m. opening fire at A’marneh’s nephew, Bakr Al-Badareen, who suffered a serious wound in the leg. He was later transferred to Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem for treatment. The family were detained in their rooms whilst A’marneh was interrogated and later arrested.

A’marneh, a cameraman for the Al-Aqsa satellite TV channel, is now the fourth Palestinian journalist to have been taken into custody by Israel this year. The number includes Samer Allawi, a Palestinian citizen and Al-Jazeera’s Afghanistan Bureau Chief, who was arrested earlier this month leaving the West Bank after a family holiday.

The Palestinian Centre for Development and Media Freedom (PCDMF) condemned the move, calling for the international community to put pressure on Israel for the journalists’ immediate release.

PNN