Story By: Lee Bullen,Sub Editor: Joseph Golder,Agency: Central European News
A CNN correspondent has been involved in a heated exchange with Israeli soldiers during a live broadcast during which they blocked the camera and used “violence against” the crew.
The incident was broadcast live from the Gaza Strip on 12th November following an Israel Defence Forces (IDF) raid on a home which reportedly resulted in the death of Baha Abu Al-Ata.
Reports said that Abu Al-Ata, the head of Palestinian resistance group Islamic Jihad, was held responsible for recent rocket fire against Israel and was planning a series of further attacks.
In the CNN coverage, Jerusalem correspondent Oren Liebermann was carrying out a live TV report when an Israeli soldier suddenly blocked the camera.
Liebermann said: “An IDF soldier is putting his hand on our camera. An IDF soldier with his officers is putting his hand on our camera as we’re trying to broadcast the latest developments from…
“The officer now is telling both soldiers that he is not [unintelligible] and the soldiers are now using violence against us, even as the officer has told them that we are okay to be here for the live…”
In the rest of the footage, obscured by the soldier’s hand, Liebermann and his crew appeared to be forcibly removed from the scene for several metres before briefly filming again in a clearing.
It is unclear if CNN has lodged a complaint with the Israel Defence Forces.
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