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German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle said Friday that Israeli soldiers attacked its news crew while filming in the West Bank city of Ramallah, marking the second assault on the outlet's journalists in the occupied territory in 2025.
The three-person team, consisting of senior international correspondent Fanny Facsar, a cameraman, and a local journalist, was producing a story about risks facing media workers in the West Bank when Israeli forces first threatened them at gunpoint, according to DW's statement.
Despite wearing clearly marked "Press" vests, the soldiers then targeted the journalists with tear gas. No injuries were reported, and footage of the incident was broadcast on DW News, the network's English-language bulletin.
In early July, another DW crew was assaulted by radical Israeli settlers near the village of Sinjil, north of Ramallah.
The journalists escaped injury, but their cameraman's vehicle sustained heavy damage after being pelted with stones.
The attack comes weeks after Israeli forces struck Nasser Hospital in Gaza on Monday, killing at least 20 people, including five journalists who worked for Reuters, Associated Press, Al Jazeera and other outlets.
Among the dead was Reuters cameraman Hussam al-Masri, who was operating a live video feed from the hospital when the strike occurred.
Israeli military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said the journalists "were not a target of the strike," adding that the army chief had ordered further inquiry into the decision-making process.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office called the incident a "tragic mishap."
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DW Director-General Peter Limbourg condemned the repeated targeting of journalists in the occupied West Bank.
"The repeated attacks on our journalists in the West Bank are completely unacceptable," Limbourg said.
"There can be no justification for press representatives being threatened by either the army or settlers."
Limbourg called on Netanyahu's government to ensure journalist safety, saying "Press freedom and the protection of media workers are fundamental pillars of every democracy."
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