Israeli forces open fire on Al Jazeera crew during coverage of illegal settler attack in West Bank

By Aysar Alais
RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Israeli forces fired at an Al Jazeera news crew on Friday as it covered an illegal settler attack in the town of Talfit, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, the broadcaster said.

The Qatar-based channel reported that soldiers shot toward its team, causing partial damage to camera equipment.

Al Jazeera correspondent Tharwat Shaqra said in a live broadcast that troops used live ammunition against the crew before firing a tear gas canister that directly struck and damaged filming gear.

She said the journalists were positioned in a clearly visible, open area and were targeted without being asked to leave the location.

The Israeli army did not immediately comment on the incident.

The shooting occurred as the crew was reporting on a settler attack in Talfit that left three Palestinians injured, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. One person was shot and taken to hospital, while two others were beaten and treated at the scene.

Israel closed Al Jazeera’s operations inside Israel on May 5, 2024, and shut its offices in the West Bank on Sept. 22, 2024, with the closure order repeatedly extended.

On Dec. 23, 2025, Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said the channel would be barred from operating “forever.”

Israel has intensified operations in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since launching its military campaign in Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023. Palestinians view the escalation, including killings, arrests, displacement and settlement expansion, as a step toward formal annexation of the territory.

At least 1,112 Palestinians have been killed and about 11,500 injured in the West Bank during that period, and more than 21,000 people have been arrested.

In a landmark opinion in July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

*Writing by Tarek Chouiref