Al Jazeera journalist leaves hospital after Israeli arrest

Al Jazeera journalist leaves hospital after Israeli arrest
Journalist Givara Budeiri's hand was fractured during her arrest by Israeli forces last week.
2 min read
07 June, 2021
Budeiri was arrested while covering a protest in Sheikh Jarrah [Getty]

A veteran Al Jazeera journalist left hospital on Sunday evening after receiving treatment for an injury sustained during her arrest by Israeli police.

Givara Budeiri's left hand was fractured during the alleged assault by police officers.

The Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent was released by police earlier on Sunday, a day after her arrest while covering a demonstration in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah.

Israeli authorities accuse Budeiri of assaulting a female police officer and failing to provide her press credentials. 

Those allegations are not supported by footage of the arrest, which shows Budeiri wearing a flak jacket clearly marked "press" while officers grappled to detain her.

The reporter was also holding a mic labelled with the Al Jazeera logo.

Budeiri also sustained bruising on several parts of her body and still has difficulty walking, she told Al Jazeera.

"If we make Al Jazeera be silent, everyone will shut up"

Israeli police also broke equipment belonging to Al Jazeera photographer Nabil Mazzawi, the Qatari broadcaster said.

Budeiri alleges police officers told her "we will make you shut up … if we make Al Jazeera be silent, everyone will shut up".

The reporter was covering a sit-in to commemorate the anniversary of the Naksa, or "The Setback", when Israeli forces occupied the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem in 1967.

She has been banned from entering the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood for two weeks.

The neighbourhood has been the site of protests and police violence as Palestinian families fight against state-backed attempts to expel them from their homes.

Press freedom advocates have condemned the incident.

Protesters gathered on Sunday in the West Bank city of Ramallah to protest Israeli attacks on journalists.

At least 14 members of the press have been arrested by Israeli forces in recent weeks, according to Reporters Without Borders.