BBC Journalists Held At Gunpoint By Israeli Police In Tel Aviv

As tensions run high in Israel, a group of BBC journalists — Muhannad Tutunji, Haitham Abudiab and their BBC Arabic team — were driving to a hotel in Tel Aviv when their car was stopped by police.

The journalists reportedly were assaulted and held at gunpoint after being dragged from the vehicle, which was marked “TV” in red tape. They subsequently were pushed against a wall and searched, they reported. See footage that was posted on social media below.

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A BBC spokesperson said journalists “must be able to report on the conflict in Israel-Gaza freely.”

Tutunji and Abudiab claimed they identified themselves as BBC journalists and showed police their press ID cards. Tutunji tried to film the incident but said that his phone was grabbed and he was struck on the neck.

“One of our BBC News Arabic teams deployed in Tel Aviv, in a vehicle clearly marked as media, was stopped and assaulted last night by Israeli police,” a BBC spokesperson said. “Journalists must be able to report on the conflict in Israel-Gaza freely.”

The BBC has contacted Israeli police for comment.

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