A New York Times reporter was allegedly assaulted by an Israeli soldier wielding a loaded rifle during a Saturday evening raid on the Jerusalem home of a recently released Hamas member.
It unfolded during heightened tensions following a prisoner exchange that freed 199 Palestinians, including Ashraf Zughayer, who had been imprisoned for his involvement in a suicide bombing that killed six civilians, as reported by The New York Times.
The incident occurred when Israeli forces disrupted a gathering celebrating Zughayer's release.
"The soldiers moved through the yard, where the gathering was held, without stopping to assess the situation or the people inside," according to Times reporters present.
The military action, which included detaining Zughayer's brother, aimed to suppress what Israeli authorities have described as provocations linked to Hamas propaganda, per the New York Times.
During the raid, Aaron Boxerman, a New York Times reporter, was struck in the ribs with the muzzle of a loaded rifle by a soldier before he had the chance to identify himself. The blow left Boxerman bruised.
Natan Odenheimer, another New York Times reporter on the scene, stated when he identified himself as a journalist, the soldier dismissed him with an expletive, once again pointing his rifle directly at him. Unreleased video footage recorded by the Times allegedly corroborates the journalists' accounts and shows soldiers yelling profanities and physically intimidating attendees, including Zughayer's father.
The raid, overseen by an Israeli colonel, disrupted a family event. Reports from the scene indicate that roughly two dozen people attended, and no one was armed.
The Israeli military issued a statement expressing regret for "any harm caused to journalists during operational activity," maintaining that the raid was based on "received intelligence and videos of gunfire and incitement to terrorism in the area."
כפר עקב היא שכונה בשטחה המוניציפלי של ירושלים.
— עומרי חיים | Omri Haim (@HaimOmri) January 25, 2025
ירי באוויר, דגלי חמאס וקהל בלתי מעורבים קיבלו שם היום את המחבל המשוחרר בעסקה אשרף זרייר שישב בכלא על העברות הבאות: "בגידה וריגול, חברות בארגון לא מוכר, נסיון לרצח - פעולות איבה, עבירות אמל"ח, קשר לביצוע פשע, רצח ע"י פעולות איבה". pic.twitter.com/CAwXJ6UFSJ
Social media videos from that day reportedly showed Zughayer wearing a Hamas scarf as he was paraded through his neighborhood. He was surrounded by a group of men carrying Hamas flags, a display that is banned under Israeli law.
A New York Times spokesperson confirmed that the outlet has filed a formal complaint with the Israeli military.
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