File photo
An Israeli military court on Wednesday extended prominent Palestinian journalist Lami Khater’s detention for an eighth time.
The Palestinian Prisoners Society, a non-governmental organization, said in a statement that Khater's detention was extended for eight days to complete "legal proceedings".
According to her lawyer, the journalist is being investigated for “suspected membership in a banned group”.
A mother of five, Khater is a Palestinian activist who has written articles for a number of major Palestinian publications.
According to Palestinian figures, more than 6,400 Palestinians are currently being held in detention facilities throughout Israel.
Dozens of Palestinian journalists in the Gaza Strip demonstrated on Wednesday to show solidarity with one of their colleagues recently arrested by Israel.Organized by the Palestinian Media Forum, an NGO, the demonstration was held outside the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)’s office in Gaza City.Protesters waved banners demanding an end to Israeli violations against Palestinian reporters, including recently-detained journalist Lama Khater.“After 34 days of interrogation, Khater was recently sent to prison,” forum chairman Khader al-Jamali told demonstrators at Wednesday’s protest.“Israel continues to commit violations with a view to silencing voices that resist occupation by conveying the truth in words and images,” he said.According to al-Jamali, these violations include frequent assaults on -- and the incarceration of -- Palestinian journalists, especially near the Gaza-Israel buffer zone.Video: Israeli forces demolish press house of a PalestinianLate last month, Israel detained Khater after raiding her home in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron (Al-Khalil).An activist and a mother of five, Khater has written articles for a number of major Palestinian publications. According to Palestinian figures, more than 6,400 Palestinians are currently being held in detention facilities throughout Israel.Israel threatens Iran attacks over Syria dealUN schools open in West Bank, Gaza despite US funding cutIsraeli soldier has ‘no regret’ for killing PalestinianJailed Fatah leader calls for healing Palestinian rift
Gaza journalists protest colleague's arrest by Israel
A former Israeli soldier who shot dead an injured Palestinian said that he has “no regret” for his action.“I know what I have done was right, and I go with it all the way with my head up,” Elor Azaria said in an interview with Israel Hayoum newspaper, excerpts of which were released on Wednesday."I do not regret it,” he said “and if time goes back to that moment in Hebron. I will do exactly what I did, because it was the right thing to do.”Azaria shot a Palestinian in the head after an alleged attack in the West Bank city of Hebron in 2016 despite the fact that he was injured and unarmed.The soldier was caught on camera while shooting dead the Palestinian by an activist with Israeli rights group B’Tselem.Azaria was sentenced to 18 months in prison after being found guilty of killing the Palestinian man.But in September 2017, his jail sentence was reduced by Israeli Army Chief-of-Staff Gadi Eizenkot to only 14 months behind bars.Azaria accused the army of being responsible for his imprisonment, citing statements by former Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon and army Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot in which they called for his conviction."If they kept their mouths closed, nothing would have happened,” he said, “and what happened was injustice”.
Israeli soldier has ‘no regret’ for killing Palestinian