Two reservists wounded, one seriously, in West Bank roadside bomb attack
Israeli forces encircle town near Nablus where soldiers were struck by explosive while carrying out routine patrol; IDF arrests Palestinian journalist for alleged Islamic Jihad ties
Two IDF reservists were wounded, one of them seriously, in a roadside bomb attack on Wednesday near the northern West Bank town of Beita, close to Nablus, the military announced.
The soldiers of the Ephraim Regional Brigade’s 9221st Reserve Battalion were carrying out a routine patrol in Beita when they were hit by an explosive.
Both soldiers were taken to a hospital for treatment.
The Israel Defense Forces said troops encircled the town and were operating in the area to locate the assailants behind the attack.
Earlier Wednesday, the military announced the arrest of Ali Samoudi, a well-known journalist, in an overnight raid in Jenin in the northern West Bank.
Samoudi previously worked for international outlets including CNN and Al Jazeera. In 2022, he was injured in the same spray of gunfire that killed prominent Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. The military has acknowledged the bullet that killed her was “in very high likelihood” shot from an IDF gun and apologized for her death, but firmly rejected allegations that the veteran journalist was deliberately targeted.
The IDF said that Samoudi was affiliated with and transferred funds for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, without providing evidence.
Samoudi was later taken to a hospital by Israeli forces, according to his son, who told The Associated Press that his father needs daily medication for several chronic illnesses.
Dozens of Palestinian journalists have been detained by the IDF since the Gaza war began on October, 7, 2023, when the Hamas terror group invaded of southern Israel. The military has ramped up counterterrorist operations in the West Bank since the Hamas-led attack due to a surge in violence there.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.