A Palestinian freelance photographer who was shot by Israeli soldiers while covering a demonstration in the occupied West Bank has drawn international attention, with journalists voicing solidarity by posting photos of themselves wearing eye patches or covering their eyes.
Moath Amarneh, 35, is being treated in Israel’s Hadassah Medical Centre in Jerusalem since he was struck in the left eye on Friday after Israeli occupation forces used live ammunition to disperse Palestinian protestors in the village of Surif, close to Hebron in the occupied southern West Bank.
#Breaking| Israeli soldiers shoot journalist Muath Amarneh in his eye while covering confrontations in northern Hebron. pic.twitter.com/LIAR3bxbJg
— Sarah Mohammed (@sarah_mo7ammed) November 15, 2019
An online campaign using hashtags that include “MuathEye”, “EyeofTruth” and “MoathAmarneh” was launched and trending following a video and photos of Amarneh being carried away with blood flowing from his left eye.
The demonstrators were protesting what they say were confiscations of village land by the Israeli soldiers.
Palestine Chronicle editors stand in solidarity with #MoathAmarnih & all Palestinian journalists in #Hebron, #Gaza & throughout #Palestine. Moath lost his eye so the rest of the world can see Israeli, Zionist crimes with unmistakable clarity #we_are_moath #westbank #hebron #gaza pic.twitter.com/HSqatM69Vl
— Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) November 18, 2019
Relatives of the photojournalist say they were informed by the doctors at Hadassah Medical Centre that his left eye could not be saved and needed to be removed as a result of the injury.
Despite Amarneh’s colleagues confirming that he was targeted by Israeli forces, Israeli occupation forces claim he wasn’t targeted and they were only using “nonlethal crowd-dispersal weapons” at the protest.
"The eyes of truth will never be blinded."
Today, dozens of Palestinian journalists protested the shooting of Muath Amarneh, who lost his eye after an Israeli soldier fired at him last Friday.
He was wearing press markings. 60 have been hit this year. #MuathEye #عين_معاذ pic.twitter.com/f5gwkRGJrE
— Jack Moore (@JFXM) November 17, 2019
The 35-year-old told AFP news agency yesterday that he was stood to the side wearing a flak jacket with clear press markings and a helmet.
He said:
“Suddenly I felt something hit my eye, I thought it was a rubber bullet or a stone. I put my hand to my eye and found nothing, I couldn’t see and my eye was completely gone.”
Palestinian journalist Muath Amarneh is alright.
Despite being shot in the eye by Zionists, He is smiling and he says hello ? ✊?Photos via Issam Rimawi #BDS #GroupPalestine
~ Mohammed Matter ~ pic.twitter.com/ZWilIwenIN— Amina (@Mina_b89) November 16, 2019
Prominent journalists and Palestinian activists uploaded pictures of themselves with one eye covered in support of Amarneh and encouraged others to do the same to raise awareness of Israeli violations against press freedoms especially while covering anti-occupation protests.
(Middle East Monitor, PC, Social Media)
I am from Vancouver,Canada and I wanted to say that Israel is trying to prevent the truth from getting out concerning Apartheid and Israeli occupation of Palestine.Moat Amarneh got support from the whole world and the truth about the barbaric Israeli Gov’t will continue to get to people worldwide.Palestinian People can count on support from people everywhere in the world in their fight against Israeli occupation,Apartheid and the barbaric Israeli Gov’t.