Israeli forces detain Al Jazeera reporter, attack crew

An Al Jazeera reported was detained by Israeli forces in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood on Saturday, a video that surfaced online showed.

Givara Al Budeiri’s arrested in East Jerusalem came after Israeli forces attacked her crew while reporting at a sit-in.

A video camera was reportedly damaged in the violent assault, Arabi21 noted.

Last month, Israeli airstrikes on the besieged Gaza Strip targeted a high-rise residential and commercial tower that housed offices belonging to Al Jazeera, the Associated Press among other global news outlets.

#AlJazeera correspondent Jivara Al Budeiri was clearly marked as a journalist. She was holding up papers, probably her permits and credentials, when she was assaulted by Israeli soldiers. They knew who they were assaulting. #JournalismIsNotACrime pic.twitter.com/fRJEpP4Xfa

— Nour Odeh 🇵🇸 #NojusticeNopeace (@nour_odeh) June 5, 2021

The arrest came as dozens of Palestinians from Sheikh Jarrah participated in a peaceful protest against what they describe as the ethnic cleansing of their neighbourhood.

Israel has been carrying out a long-running campaign of harassment and intimidation against Palestinians in Jerusalem, with the aim of forcing them out and changing the demographic balance in the occupied city, which has seen increased Jewish settlements.

Palestinians in the Sheikh Jarrah district of east Jerusalem have been threatened with forced expulsion from their homes after Israeli settlers laid claim to their property and Israeli forces carried out a series of provocations against Muslim worshippers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the fasting month of Ramadan.

Palestinians in Silwan have also been threatened with expulsion from their homes.

On Friday, dozens of Palestinian runners were injured after Israeli forces fired stun grenades at them while they were taking part in a marathon run in solidarity with families facing forced eviction in the occupied East Jerusalem.

Thousands of runners took part in the marathon, which began in the occupied East Jerusalem Sheikh Jarrah and ended in Silwan, aimed at raising awareness on the plight of Palestinians in Jerusalem.

The runners wore white T-shirts with "7,850" printed on them, referring to the number of Palestinians from the occupied East Jerusalem who face forced expulsion.

They began their two-mile journey in high spirits until occupying Israeli forces began to attack them with tear gas and stun grenades, locals say.

Israeli forces also assaulted reporters and cameramen for Palestine TV and smashed one of their cameras, local reports said. A sit-in tent was also destroyed by Israeli forces, according to witnesses.