Israeli police arrest four settlers over attack on CNN crew in West Bank

Israeli police arrested four settlers on Saturday after they attacked a CNN Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. ↗ 0.03% crew and other journalists in the occupied West Bank village of Sinjil, according to Israeli police and CNN's own reporting. The attack occurred as the journalists were covering the one-year anniversary of the killing of Sayfollah Musallet, a 20-year-old Palestinian-American who was beaten to death by Israeli settlers in Sinjil on July 11, 2025.wikipedia+4

The Attack on Journalists

CNN reported that its team was blocked by settlers armed with wooden and metal rods and stones, and that the attackers damaged a vehicle carrying the crew. The Times of Israel described it as "the latest attack" in a pattern of settler violence in the area. Israeli police confirmed the arrests but further details about the identities of those detained were not immediately available.cnn+3

A Broader Pattern of Violence

The incident came on the same day that U.S. Representative Ro Khanna of California said he and his delegation were detained by armed Israeli settlers and the Israeli military during a separate visit to the West Bank. Khanna said settlers wielding American-made M4 rifles blocked his convoy, and his team had to appeal to the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem before Israeli security intervened. The Israeli Defense Forces denied detaining any visitors in the Khanna incident.jpost+4

The village of Sinjil has become a focal point of international attention since last year's killing of Musallet, a Florida native who was visiting family when settlers attacked the town. The BBC reported at the time that a second Palestinian, 23-year-old Mohammed al-Shalabi, was also killed that day after being shot in the chest. A Reuters report published days before Saturday's attack documented how Sinjil residents have organized to defend themselves from recurring settler incursions.bbc+1

Press Freedom Concerns

Saturday's violence against journalists adds to a series of confrontations between Israeli settlers and media crews operating in the West Bank. In March 2026, a CNN crew was detained by the Israeli military for nearly two hours while covering settler violence, and one photographer was injured. Press freedom organizations have repeatedly raised alarms about the safety of journalists working in the occupied territories.jpost