The video showed a number of Israeli soldiers hitting and pushing two photojournalists in a confrontation that took place, according to the video’s description, near the Palestinian village of Nabi Saleh.
One of the soldiers is seen throwing a stone at one of the journalists before pushing him to the ground. After the two journalists are forcibly pushed away, one soldier is seen throwing another stone as they walked away.
The soldiers assaulted the journalists, who were clearly marked as members of the press, while shouting "Get out of here!"
The spokesman for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said that the soldiers’ behavior was "reprehensible," and that they will be investigated for their actions.
"The IDF guidelines allow for free press coverage in the territory under control of the Central Command in general, and specifically during demonstrations. The matter will be investigated," the spokesperson told Haaretz.
Instances of Israeli soldiers attacking Palestinian and foreign journalists covering clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinian protesters dates back years.
Increased hostility toward journalists by soldiers last year forced Israel’s Foreign Press Association (FPA) to call for an end to such aggression.
"The Foreign Press calls on the Israeli border police to put an immediate end to a wave of attacks on journalists," read an FPA statement released on November 3, 2014.
"In just over a week," it continued, "border police officers have carried out at least four attacks on journalists working for international media organizations, injuring reporters and damaging expensive equipment. These attacks all appear to have been unprovoked."
