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Last update - 12:05 01/07/2008
Israel denies it mistreated Gaza journalist at Jordan crossing
By Reuters
Tags: Palestinian reporter, Israel 

Israel denied on Tuesday allegations by a Palestinian journalist that he was abused and injured by Israeli security personnel while on his way home to the Gaza Strip after receiving a journalism award in Britain.

Mohammed Omer said from his hospital bed on Monday that he was detained for nearly four hours at the Israeli-controlled Allenby Bridge when he crossed from Jordan into the occupied West Bank, en route to the Gaza Strip, on June 26.

Omer said he was forced to strip to his underwear by an Israeli officer who then "snatched it down off me". He said two officers dragged him by his legs, his head sweeping the floor, in front of other passengers, and that he vomited and fainted.
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An Israeli security official said a body search and an examination of Omer's belongings were carried out "because of the suspicion that he had been in contact with hostile elements and had been asked by them to smuggle something in".

The official said Omer received "fair treatment and no irregular action was taken towards him" during the search.

"At the end of the search, he lost his balance and fell, for some reason unknown to us. A team of medics, an ambulance and a paramedic were summoned and he was transferred for treatment to Jericho," the official said.

Omer, 24, received the Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism, awarded to journalists who expose "establishment propaganda", according to its Web site, at a ceremony in London on June 16.

While in hospital in Jericho, in the West Bank, he contacted Dutch diplomats who had facilitated his trip to Europe, and they drove him to an Israeli border crossing with the Gaza Strip.

Back in the Hamas-controlled territory, he was admitted to hospital where doctors said he had suffered a nervous breakdown and that several of his ribs had been broken.

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      1.   Israel denies every crime until it is caught red handed. 12:18  |  Johan Odin 01/07/08
      2.   "he lost his balance and fell" 12:26  |  Andreas 01/07/08
      3.   #1 It seems that nobody is perfect... 12:57  |  Ulf 01/07/08
      4.   I have a suspicion that IDF troops... 13:05  |  Palestinian in UK 01/07/08
      5.   Europeans are the true war criminals for the past 300 years 13:24  |  jem 01/07/08
      6.   Israel all but admitting it 13:29  |  newageblues 01/07/08
      7.   Israeli who has to go thru UK security searches 13:37  |  Israeli who has to g 01/07/08
      8.   pal in U.K 13:41  |  jem 01/07/08
      9.   Journalist alleges mistreatment 13:43  |  F 01/07/08
      10.   Paliwood shouts `wolf` again and the world says oooooooooooh 13:54  |  x-ray 01/07/08
      11.   another example of israel`s "establishment propaganda" 13:55  |  bashar 01/07/08
      12.   ODIN really? You must have missed trials etc that have gone on. 14:00  |  PETER SM 01/07/08
      13.   newageblues .were you there? guilty till proven innocent? 14:27  |  PETER SM 01/07/08
      14.   BASHAR.The fact is thousands pass WITHOUT broken ribs! 14:33  |  PETER SM 01/07/08
      15.   to peter, 14:59  |  bashar 01/07/08
      16.   Peter SM prefers to know the total circumstances 15:04  |  newageblues 01/07/08
      17.   Peter/Bashar 15:25  |  David Teich 01/07/08
      18.   Scepticism appropriate 15:27  |  Gil Franco 01/07/08
      19.   Murderers, thives and liars 15:34  |  KMS 01/07/08
      20.   bashar 15:50  |  jem 01/07/08
      21.   Gaza journalist. 15:55  |  David Nigel Braham 01/07/08
      22.   Gaza journalist at Jordan crossing 15:56  |  Zwi 01/07/08
      23.   excellent post, Bashar 15:57  |  newageblues 01/07/08
      24.   Bashar."forget the name calling and the abuses" 16:30  |  PETER SM 01/07/08
      25.   Bashar."forget the name calling and the abuses" 16:30  |  PETER SM 01/07/08
      26.   Bashar."forget the name calling and the abuses" 16:30  |  PETER SM 01/07/08
      27.   #14, Peter SM... 16:56  |  Silvienne 01/07/08
      28.   #1, Johan Odin... 17:00  |  Silvienne 01/07/08
      29.   Worst story yet 17:17  |  Dave Duncan 01/07/08
      30.   The truth hurts 17:29  |  Natallie Durson 01/07/08
      31.   Johan Odin,Silvienne,friends,you may already know this but the 17:37  |  lakshmi 01/07/08
      32.   David Teich thinks that Gazans tell lies 18:09  |  x-ray 01/07/08
      33.   This region creates monsters 18:41  |  Monster man 01/07/08
      34.   he fell?? 18:43  |  ron 01/07/08
      35.   One More Step Toward the Descent 18:44  |  Yaakov Sullivan 01/07/08
      36.   This story is NOT an official Israel denial 18:54  |  BBSNews 01/07/08
      37.   mistreatment 19:17  |  rm 01/07/08
      38.   islam directs one to lie cheat to help further its cause 19:24  |  ralph 01/07/08
      39.   #32 Wait to see the results of the Investigation 19:34  |  DesMnsDave 01/07/08
      40.   Israel Lies Again 19:37  |  Janice 01/07/08
      41.   Jem did you read the complete translation? 19:46  |  Janice 01/07/08
      42.   #37 Which ONE of his ranting speeches? 20:34  |  DesMnsDave 01/07/08
      43.   Unringing the Bell 21:07  |  Mark of Lewiston 01/07/08
      44.   Brutal, Duplicitous Pariah State 21:27  |  chet 01/07/08
      45.   BBS 21:29  |  JOJO 01/07/08
      46.   This journalist puts out "establishment propaganda" 21:48  |  McQueen 01/07/08
      47.   Ahmadinejad 21:53  |  wibism 01/07/08
      48.   Go watch what your soldiers are doing at checkpoints 22:35  |  Sami 01/07/08
      49.   Wibism - Sure, When France is no longer a state for the French... 22:54  |  Jack 01/07/08
      50.   reply to no 9 23:18  |  rebecka 01/07/08
      51.   reply to 50 01:07  |  Jack 02/07/08
      52.   #48 Was that the situation BEFORE the Infatadas? NO! 02:20  |  DesMnsDave 02/07/08
      53.   Sami, you`re right...they have become what they hated... 04:57  |  Silvienne 02/07/08
      54.   53: Silvienne the eternal antisemite does it again... 13:49  |  David Teich 02/07/08
      55.   #54, David Teich... 21:56  |  Silvienne 02/07/08
      56.   Silvienne, you just keep proving my point 14:15  |  David Teich 03/07/08
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