Israel Defense Forces shoot 2 Palestinian photojournalists with rubber bullets

On Wednesday, IDF soldiers shot Palestinian photojournalists Momen Somrain and Rabi al-Munir with rubber bullets while they covered the demolition of a terrorism suspect’s house in the central West Bank city of Ramallah.

Both journalists were hospitalized and in stable condition as of Thursday evening.

“Last month marked the first anniversary of the IDF killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, and Israeli forces’ shootings of two photojournalists with rubber bullets show that her colleagues still work under tremendous risk,” said Sherif Mansour, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. “The IDF soldiers who shot Momen Somrain and Rabi al-Munir must be identified and held accountable.”

The killing of Abu Akleh was part of a deadly, decades-long pattern, according to a special report by CPJ. Over 22 years, the Israeli forces have killed at least 20 journalists. Despite numerous IDF probes, no one has ever been charged or held responsible for these deaths. The report includes recommendations to prevent future killings.