Israel Police, IDF Arrest Four Settlers Over Sinjil Attack on CNN Crew

Israel Police and IDF Samaria Brigade troops detained four Israeli civilians on Saturday afternoon after they blocked and attacked a CNN news crew and other journalists near the West Bank Binyamin village of Sinjil, where reporters had come to mark the one-year anniversary of Palestinian-American Saif Musallet's killing by settler violence. According to the joint Police-IDF account the assailants used a vehicle to trap the crews, wielded wooden and metal rods and stones, and one brandished a knife trying to puncture a CNN vehicle's tires and smash a companion vehicle's windshield. Samaria Brigade soldiers reached the scene first, allowed the journalists to depart safely, and held the suspects until Binyamin district police arrived, searched the assailants' vehicle, seized a knife and several clubs, and transferred the four to the Binyamin regional police station for questioning as the investigation continues. Israel Police said any violence targeting media personnel performing their duties is viewed with utmost seriousness.