News

HEBRON, Palestinian Territories — Two Palestinian news photographers
were hospitalised on Saturday after being attacked by Israeli troops
during a weekly protest in the occupied West Bank, one of them said.

An
AFP photographer said a soldier hit him in the face and leg with a
baton and that another photographer lost his hearing after a stun
grenade exploded near his head.

The two were covering a weekly
demonstration against Israel's controversial separation barrier attended
by dozens of Palestinian, foreign and Israeli activists near the
southern West Bank town of Beit Umar, outside of Hebron.

An
Israeli military spokesman declined to comment directly on the two
journalists being wounded, saying only that security forces had
dispersed 40 "rioters" who had entered a closed military zone and thrown
rocks at them.