TEL AVIV: The Israeli military has suspended all operational activities of a reserve battalion involved in detaining and assaulting a CNN team in the West Bank last week. One soldier has been dismissed, and others reprimanded, the military said on Monday.
The reserve battalion, part of the ultra-Orthodox Netzah Yehuda infantry unit, will be withdrawn from the West Bank and reassigned to training until further notice. The action was ordered by Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Israel’s military chief of staff, about 48 hours after CNN aired the report on the incident.
The assault occurred on Thursday in the Palestinian village of Tayasir. CNN journalist Cyril Theophilos was placed in a chokehold by a soldier, brought to the ground, and had his camera damaged while covering a violent settler attack. The IDF called the incident a “serious ethical and professional failure” and said weapons are to be used only for military missions, “never for revenge.”
The military said the battalion will undergo training to reinforce professional and ethical standards. Additional steps will be taken against individual soldiers involved in the assault. The battalion commander, company commander, deputy company commander, and a sergeant were reprimanded.
Netzah Yehuda was originally formed to integrate ultra-Orthodox Jews into the IDF with religious accommodations, but in recent years the unit has drawn members of radical right-wing settler groups, including the “Hilltop Youth.” In 2024, the US considered sanctioning the battalion for alleged human rights abuses against Palestinians but did not proceed after Israel provided corrective measures.
During the CNN detention, soldiers expressed extreme nationalist views, claiming the West Bank belongs entirely to Jews. One soldier, Meir, admitted the outpost in Tayasir was illegal but said it would “slowly” be legalized. Meir has now been dismissed from service.
The suspension has drawn criticism from Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who called it a “grave mistake.” Meanwhile, former IDF deputy chief Yair Golan and the Israeli Journalists’ Union demanded strict accountability for the assault.
The incident has sparked widespread attention in Israeli media, highlighting both settler violence and the military’s handling of it in the West Bank.
