AP Demands IDF Respond on Shooting of Journalist

One month after the shooting of an Associated Press cameraman in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military still has not commented on the incident or provided any updates about the status of an investigation.

Rashed Rashid was covering a protest near Gaza’s northern border with Israel on Nov. 19 when he was shot in the left ankle, apparently by Israeli fire. Rashid was wearing protective gear that clearly identified him as a journalist and was standing with a crowd of other journalists some 660 yards away from the Israeli border when he was hit.

Rashid, 47, was allowed to enter Israel for medical treatment. He has been hospitalized at Hadassah Medical Center in Yerushalayim to repair multiple fractures and a gaping hole in his leg. Doctors say the injuries are not life-threatening.

At the time of the shooting, the AP urged the army to conduct a thorough investigation.

The army says it routinely investigates such incidents, and it has implied that it is looking into Rashid’s shooting. But it has not responded to repeated requests for comment or updates about the investigation. It also has not attempted to interview Rashid or other AP staffers who witnessed the incident, or asked to view AP footage of the shooting.

“The Associated Press urges the Israeli military to conduct a prompt and thorough investigation into the shooting of its cameraman, Rashed Rashid, who was shot while doing his job,” said Lauren Easton, the AP’s director of media relations.