14 December 2012 Last updated at 06:43 ET

Reuters news agency has accused Israeli soldiers of hitting two of its cameramen and forcing them to strip in the West Bank city of Hebron.

Yousri al-Jamal and Mamoun Wazwaz said they were stopped near a checkpoint where a Palestinian teenager had been shot dead by an Israeli border guard.

The soldiers then allegedly struck them with their rifles and made them strip before letting off a tear-gas canister.

The Israeli military said it had ordered an investigation.

Tensions have been running high in Hebron in the past week following repeated clashes between soldiers and stone-throwing youths.

Hebron is home to about 180,000 Palestinians and some 500 Jewish settlers who live in the centre of the city, guarded by Israeli troops.

Israeli police said the teenager was shot dead on Thursday after he attacked an Israeli border guard and threatened him with what turned out to be a metal toy pistol.

'Assault and humiliation'

Reuters said its cameramen had driven towards the scene of the shooting in a car which was clearly marked "TV". They were also both wearing blue flak jackets with "Press" on the front.

After being stopped by an Israeli military foot patrol, they were forced to leave the vehicle and struck with the butts of the soldiers' rifles, the cameramen said.

The cameramen said the soldiers did not let them produce their official media ID papers and forced them to strip down to their underwear, making them kneel on the road with their hands behind their heads.

Two other Palestinian journalists working for local news organisations were also stopped and forced to the ground, they said.

One of the soldiers then dropped a tear-gas canister between the men and the Israeli patrol ran away, having taken a video camera and their gas masks, the Reuters cameramen added.

More tear gas was allegedly fired as the men tried to escape. Mr Wazwaz was overwhelmed by the fumes and had to be taken to hospital.

"We deplore the mistreatment of our journalists and have registered our extreme dismay with the Israeli military authorities," said Stephen Adler, editor-in-chief of Reuters News.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it took the allegations seriously.

"The regional brigade commander was ordered to open an investigation," spokeswoman Col Avital Leibovich told Reuters in an email.

The Foreign Press Association in Israel said it condemned in the strongest terms the alleged assault.

"Press freedom is the signal of a civilised nation. The assault and humiliation of reporters trying to do their work is unacceptable and falls far, far below the standards that the IDF says it adheres to," it added.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20724966#

No different than when U.S. soldiers do something wrong and the U.S. military conducts an investigation.

Precisely. The only difference, perhaps, if I recall correctly, is that no IDF member has ever been found to have been guilty as charged.

A few US military members have been found guilty and either given jail time, or dismissed from the military.

As I said, I am not certain that there has been no IDF member found guilty of any ethical, moral, or legal acts, but there have been few, if any, other investigations held in Israel concerning IDF behaviors and performances. The white phosphorous was denied, even as the video cameras where showing it dropping from the skies. 'tis a joke.

I've read the books, I've read the history, I've read the rules of the military, and squealing on one another is not an acceptable or safe position for a military person to be in. They're supposed to be protecting each other, as well as themselves.

I don't know about the IDF, but the US military has a lot of opportunists who don't seem to mind spouting self serving accusations and excuses for their "buddies." I think there are small chinks in the solidarity of the Military Code of Justice that are widening into large, walk through holes. And whistle blowers are not likely to thrive in a military environment. Anywhere. Just like some well known military who were "just following orders" so they didn't think they should be found guilty of anything approaching "war crimes."

That's ancient history.....to most people.

The US has frequent investigations, and they are all announced with indignationand great fanfare, but fade away into oblivion until everyone forgets about them. To this day, I really can't recall anything being done to any of the US forces that took part in the cover up of that football hero who was killed by friendly fire. Nobody went to jail. Nobody apologized. Nobody was ever isolated as the cause of the cover up concerning the football player's faked death at enemy hands.

I seem to recall that the US military members involved in some slaughter of something like nineteen members of a family because an IED went off in their vicinity have not been tried or sentenced. I think there was a "military investigation" (big noise...Ahem. We'll get to the bottom of this) but does anyone recall any of them being charged. Seems to me maybe one man, but he sounded like the scapegoat to me.

The military is slipping on the standards of conduct becoming an officer and/or a gentleman. But maybe the low level members are not expected to be held to such high standards as the officers? and gentlemen? of the "old school."

Patraeus certainly is a good example of the conduct unbecoming to an officer and a gentleman.

I have stopped expecting any kind of responsibility or accountability when it comes to any member of anyone's military, most particularly the US or Israeli.

I have accepted the practices of corruption, covering your ass, muddying the waters, distracting the inquiries, and telling so damned many lies that the truth is forever lost to sheer fatigue and loss of interest.

This goes to killing as well as stealing, fraud as well as coverups. There's no way in hell all of those shipments of arms being dumped in the middle east are being dumped there to bring about peace OR for self defense.

There is no need for US troops in Turkey, or Israel, or Egypt, or Libya, or Yemen, or Kuwait, or Syria, or Saudi Arabia. More people will be killed because US troops are there than there would be without them. Including the US troops themselves. More of our people in our volunteer military are being put on the takee outee assembly line and sent where they may be more likely killed than if they stayed home and actually protected and defended the US soil.

We are growing murderers and assassins by the bushel basket, and I begin to feel that a code of silence, similar to that of the Mafia, is being put upon all who might say "this path is destructive and unethical."

I recall a "blessed are the peacemakers," quote from someplace or other, but I don't think that means anything anymore.

That's just my in the middle of the night opinion, of course, and I haven't verified anything.

But it occurs to me that I simply dismiss any preordained conclusions of anyone's military being guilty of anything, unless, of course, their military happens to be Muslim, or African. And that's all I have to say about that.

Now, ain'tcha sorry you bothered to read it? Don't feel bad. I'm sorry I wrote it, and I haven't even posted it yet.

jd

Be forewarned.
Very, very graphic.
http://www.rohama.org/en/news/7085