Israeli military suspends battalion involved in assaulting, detaining CNN crew in West Bank
IDF Halts Operations of Reserve Battalion Linked to CNN Crew Incident in West Bank
The Israeli military’s top general has ordered the temporary halt of operations for a reserve battalion implicated in the detention and confrontation with a CNN team in the West Bank, according to an announcement made Monday. The unit, which includes hundreds of reservists formerly part of the ultra-Orthodox Netzah Yehuda battalion, is set to be redeployed to training and removed from active duty in the region until further notice, as stated by an Israeli military official.
The disciplinary decision by Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the IDF chief of staff, marks a rapid and extensive response to the incident. This action occurred just 48 hours after CNN’s report on the event was first broadcast, highlighting escalating internal worries within Israel’s security apparatus about the increasing frequency of settler violence in the West Bank.
Incident in Tayasir Village
The dispute unfolded on Thursday in the Palestinian village of Tayasir, where CNN’s Jeremy Diamond and his team were documenting the aftermath of an attack by settlers who had built an unauthorized outpost. Soldiers from the battalion detained the journalists, with one placing Cyril Theophilos, a CNN photojournalist, in a chokehold, causing him to fall and damage his camera.
“The battalion will remain in reserve service and will undergo a process aimed at reinforcing its professional and ethical foundations. The battalion will resume operational activity upon completion of this process and subject to the decision of the Commander of the Central Command,” the military stated in its official release.
A military official confirmed that further measures will be imposed on individual soldiers involved in the incident. The suspended unit is the reserve branch of Netzah Yehuda, an IDF infantry battalion originally designed to integrate ultra-Orthodox Jews while preserving religious practices such as gender separation and strict observance.
In recent years, Netzah Yehuda has drawn members from right-wing settler groups like the “Hilltop Youth,” primarily based in the West Bank. The US administration had previously contemplated sanctions against the battalion in 2024 due to claims of severe human rights abuses against Palestinians, including killings and beatings. However, the plan was abandoned after Israel presented evidence that corrective actions had been implemented.
During the encounter, some soldiers expressed views that the entire West Bank is Jewish territory, justifying their actions as retaliation for the alleged killing of an Israeli settler. One soldier, Meir, acknowledged the outpost was illegal but asserted it would eventually gain legal status with his assistance.
“This is a grave mistake that harms our fighters and Israel’s deterrence capability,” declared National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, criticizing the suspension.
CNN’s coverage of the event sparked widespread discussion in Israeli media, bringing attention to settler violence and the IDF’s involvement. Yair Golan, a former IDF deputy chief of staff and Democrats party leader, urged Zamir to “clearly state to his subordinates below and the government above: There is no ‘permitted’ terror. Terror is terror. And terror is dealt with an iron fist.”
The Israeli Journalists’ Union called for full accountability of the soldiers who physically attacked the crew. The disciplinary action followed a public apology from military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, who pledged a prompt investigation into the incident.